Dear Editor:

On behalf of our Board of Directors and employees, Golden Valley Health Centers would like to publicly thank Congressman Denham for supporting H.R. 2 last month.

This piece of legislation, more commonly known as the “Doc Fix” will relieve the nation’s healthcare system of what would’ve been a drastic cut in Medicare reimbursement. And, while important, the bill also contained much needed Federal support for Community Health Centers across the nation which were also facing a funding cliff set to take effect in October of this year.

This cut in funding would have equated to fewer primary care services and longer waits for appointments at a time when the Valley’s healthcare system is already in crisis mode. We appreciate him taking a stand to support the people in our communities and their need for timely, quality medical, dental and behavioral health care. This continuation of funding will also support the Teaching Health Centers program that enables Health Centers to create residency programs for more doctors. This tool is essential to the Central Valley where the demand for physicians is high.

Thank you Congressman Denham for demonstrating your commitment to addressing this important need in Stanislaus County.

— Tony Weber, CEO of Golden Valley Health Centers