To the Editor:
South Dakotas Community Health Centers, like Horizon Health, deliver affordable, accessible care to their patients who are also their families, friends and neighbors.
We know the values that make our communities, and our way of life, unique. For over 45 years, Horizon has been Caring for our way of life and in April 2024, we adopted that as part of our branding.
At Horizon, a patient receives the same level of treatment he or she would get at a larger healthcare system without driving hours to access that care. Our providers are technically astute and robustly trained in the latest healthcare treatment methods.
In 2023, Horizon Health providers cared for over 27,000 patients including 8,300 children. In doing so it generated $68 million in economic activity and 254 full-time jobs.
Horizons footprint spreads to 22 communities and 31 clinics including eight dental locations in some of the most rural and frontier locations in South Dakota. We also serve residents in larger communities who face the concerns of untreated chronic care conditions brought on by a lack of insurance.
The Community Health Center movement that began in the 1960s, has grown to provide a healthcare lifeline to over 31.5 million patients nationwide, saving taxpayers $24 billion in healthcare costs.
To protect your local Community Health Center, Congress must pass long-term mandatory funding for health centers and protect the 340B prescription drug discount program. We thank Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, and Representative Dusty Johnson for their support of their hometown healthcare clinics and the people who rely on them.
As part of National Health Center Week 2024 – August 4-10 – please support a health center in your neighborhood and celebrate its mission and accomplishments.
Wade Erickson
CEO, Horizon Health
Howard
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