J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center, a nonprofit organization providing affordable health care services to individuals in the Savannah community, was recently awarded $145,508 in Affordable Care Act funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration in recognition of the health center’s achievement in exceeding the highest levels of performance in quality and comprehensive health care.

J.C. Lewis is currently providing critical health care services at an affordable rate to qualifying uninsured, underinsured, and homeless persons with limited income in the Savannah community. The organization will use the awarded funds to expand current quality improvement systems, infrastructure, and primary care service delivery in the communities they serve. In addition, they are one of only 1,153 health centers across the U.S. to receive this special funding and were recognized in the following categories:

Clinical Quality Improvers
Health Center Quality Leaders
Access Enhancers
High Value Health Center

“Today’s funding rewards those health centers that are achieving the highest levels of clinical quality performance and improvement,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “The awards will help health centers continue to provide comprehensive primary care to the nation’s most vulnerable communities.”

The modest-sized health care center located at 125 Fahm St. in downtown Savannah recently reported treatment to more than 9,500 citizens, with more than 32,000 medical encounters in 2014 alone. J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center provides medical, dental, behavioral health and family planning services to a growing number of Savannah’s population in need of quality care, despite their inability to pay.

“These funds will allow our health center to deliver better, smarter care to our patients,” said Aretha Jones, CEO at J.C. Lewis Primary Health Care Center. “There is no doubt there is an ever-growing need for our services in Savannah, which is why securing funding like the ACA award is so critical to our future ability to serve and our patients health.”