UNION COUNTY — The importance of Community Health Centers in general and ReGenesis Health Care in particular is being recognized and honored the week of August 9-15 by Union County.

In the following proclamation issued Thursday, Union County Supervisor Frank Hart is calling on the people of Union County to honor the local ReGenesis Health Care and its role in providing health care services to the community.

Whereas, for over 55 years, Community Health Centers have provided high-quality, affordable health care in our nation’s underserved communities, demonstrating that locally governed healthcare can improve their lives while lowering costs; and

Whereas, what began as a small demonstration project in two states has grown into the country’s largest primary care network, with Health Centers, like ReGenesis Health Care, now serving as the health care home for over 29 million American through more than 12,000 delivery sites across the nation. About one in every twelve people living in South Carolina looks to a community health center for their care; and

Whereas, ReGenesis Health Care provides high quality, cost effective, and accessible primary and preventive care, including integrated medical, dental, vision, behavioral health, and pharmacy services, to all individuals regardless of insurance status or ability to pay; and

Whereas, ReGenesis Health Care’s facilities are located in medically underserved areas and locally controlled by patient-majority boards, ensuring that each Health Center always remains responsive to the needs of the specific community it serves; and

Whereas, ReGenesis Health Care employs nearly 125 people, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and administrative staff who work as part of multi-disciplinary clinical teams designed to treat the whole patient; and

Whereas, the ReGenesis Health Care model continues to prove an effective means of reducing healthcare disparities and overcoming barriers to healthcare access, including geography, income and insurance status, and in doing so, improves health care outcomes and reduces health care system costs; and

Whereas, Health Centers nationally save the entire health system approximately $25 billion annually by managing chronic conditions and keeping patients out of higher cost health care settings, like hospital emergency rooms; and

Whereas, Health Centers have worked tirelessly to grow the nation’s primary care infrastructure to meet the pressing need for access to care, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 22.4 % of Americans (more than 71 million people) still do not have a regular place to go for healthcare in 2018; and

Whereas, the demand for Health Centers, like ReGenesis Health Care, continue to outpace growth, and expansion of health centers’ capacity and reach will be essential to meet the needs of these new patients, as existing Health Centers are already at capacity and many communities lack any primary care services at all; and

Whereas, National Health Center Week offers the opportunity to recognize ReGenesis Health Care, their dedicated staff, board members, and all those responsible for their continued success and growth since the first health centers opened their doors more than 50 years ago. During this National Health Center Week, we celebrate the legacy of ReGenesis Health Care and their vital role in shaping the future of the health care system.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Union County Supervisor Frank Hart, do hereby proclaim August 9-15, 2020, as National Health Center Week. I encourage all citizens to salute our local health center and celebrate the important partnership between ReGenesis Health Care and the County of Union, along with the communities we serve.