PRESS RELEASE: December 4, 2023
Contact:
Savannah Martincic
Manager of Communications
smartincic@ms2ch.org
Fairfax, Virginia – Today, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers, released two new resources aimed at helping health centers and the communities they serve to advance climate resilience through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The first, “Advancing Health Center Resilience: Using Inflation Reduction Act Funds to Improve Energy Efficiency and Disaster Preparedness” is intended to support health centers in accessing important funding that can improve resiliency measures. The second, “Federal Funding for Patients and Communities: Resources for Community Health Centers”, is designed to support health centers in helping patients understand their options for their own homes.
Passed in 2022, the IRA presented historic federal funding for climate resilience initiatives, including numerous grant programs and investments in clean energy and emissions reduction. As trusted leaders, community health centers have a tremendous opportunity to be sites of resilience, and the funding provided through the IRA can make clinics safer and more reliable and can also protect patients at home before they even set foot in a health center.
“The provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act can assist health centers and their patients with saving money through energy efficiency and will contribute to a healthier community. The resources in the toolkit provide a wonderful how-to guide to take advantage of this unprecedented federal benefit,” said Ben Money, Senior Vice President of Population Health for the National Association of Community Health Centers.
In recognition of this potential and the fact that many people do not know they are eligible for these dollars or that clean energy can save them money in the long run, these guides provide two patient-facing resources designed to help individuals get started and learn more about their eligibility. They also include sample text for social media and newsletters, ideas for community engagement, and guidance for talking to patients.