OPCA Honors Lawmakers with Hero Awards

August 10, 2011 -- The Oregon Primary Care Association (OPCA) honors six policymakers for their outstanding support of community health centers on August 10.

OPCA awarded its first-ever Health Center Hero Awards to:

•       U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer,

•       Oregon Senator David Nelson, and

•       Oregon Representatives Peter Buckley, Tim Freeman, Mitch Greenlick and Tina Kotek.

Rep. Blumenauer was recognized as a champion of federal support for community health centers. He sponsored a programmatic request for health center funding during the recent budget debates in the U.S. House, and also sponsored a state delegation letter to President Obama addressing the impact of potential Medicaid cuts on the health of vulnerable Oregonians.

Greenlick’s award recognized his long-term role as a leader in state health reform and his commitment to healthcare access and excellence for all Oregonians. OPCA recognized Kotek for her overall support of health centers and her sponsorship of HB 3311 during the 2011 Oregon legislative session. This bill launches a program to improve birth outcomes for underserved women, many of whom are patients of community health centers.

OPCA honored Senator Nelson and Representatives Buckley and Freeman for their leadership roles in recent health delivery transformation efforts. During deliberations, these legislators elevated the needs of vulnerable populations and the safety net that serves them.

The Oregon Primary Care Association is a nonprofit membership organization of 29 community health centers operating through 165 sites across the state. OPCA advocates on behalf of health centers at the state and federal levels and provides technical assistance and training to its members. Its mission is to lead the transformation of primary care to achieve health equity for all. For more information, see http://www.orpca.org.