Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel announced that the Refuah Health Center and Community Medical and Dental Care were each awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from money made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Refuah Health Center received a $1,084,750 grant and Community Medical and Dental Care received $789,385.

Rep. Engel said, “These funds not only help the people of the Spring Valley and Monsey area to receive better health care, it will also help our country’s economic health in recovering from the deepening recession. As changes to our broken health care system are considered in Washington, I am pleased to help reward those entities who are currently bringing quality care to New Yorkers. Once reforms are made, I am certain that quality of care will continue, and in fact be enhanced.”

Rep. Engel is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health. In March, he was awarded the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) 2009 Distinguished Community Health Superhero Award. The money is part of a total package of $851 million in grants to address immediate and pressing health center facility and equipment needs, and will increase access to health care for millions of Americans.

“We are thrilled to be awarded this significant grant,” said Chanie Sternberg, executive director of Refuah Health Center, who recently presented Congressman Engel with the Superhero Award. “This funding will help us continue providing the best in quality, caring health services to the community – regardless of insurance and income levels.”

The 11-term Congressman said Health Centers provide community-run services to all, regardless of their ability to pay. “At a time when health care costs have dramatically increased across the country, health centers have kept their costs well under those of other health care providers. In addition, research has shown that health centers actually save the health system money, and that their patients see better results and fewer hospital emergency rooms.”