HR1407: HR1407 Community Health Centers Day; February 18, 2026; commending the Georgia Primary Care Association; recognize

26 LC 129 9022 House Resolution 1407 By: Representatives Hagan of the 156 th, Dempsey of the 13 th, Jackson of the 128 th, and O’Steen of the 169th A RESOLUTION Recognizing February 18, 2026, as Community Health Centers Day and commending the1 Georgia Primary Care Association; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, Federally Qualified Health Centers located in 145 counties and more than 3303 medically underserved communities provide high-quality primary and preventive health care4 to nearly 750,000 people in the State of Georgia, including mor e than 193,000 Medicaid5 recipients and over 192,000 uninsured, the working poor, and nu merous underinsured,6 elderly, homeless, and other vulnerable populations, without regard to income status, cultural7 or ethnic heritage, or disease conditions; and8 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers contribute more than $1.6 bil lion per year to9 Georgia's economy through indirect and induced economic activit y, including over $50010 million in household income and 4,711 Georgia jobs, saving the Georgia Medicaid program11 up to 33 percent in annual spending per Medicaid beneficiary; and12 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers recruit and retain more than 2,000 health care13 professionals where they are most needed and offer access to a wide range of cost-effective14 medical and dental services, behavioral health services, prescr iption medicines, health15 H. R. 1407 - 1 - 26 LC 129 9022 education, nutrition counseling, translation services, community outreach, transportation, and16 other support programs; and17 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers have a track record spanning over six decades of18 controlling costs, documented in several studies that show rates of costly emergency room19 visits, hospitalizations, and specialty care referrals are much lower among health center20 patients; and21 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers work in partnership with othe r health care22 providers, local hospitals, health departments, social service agencies, and health-related23 support organizations to maximize resources and ensure that ser vices are coordinated to24 improve the health status of the community; and25 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers have been innovators in the e stablishment of26 patient-centered medical homes, providing access to quality care and continuity of care for27 the patients they serve; and28 WHEREAS, Georgia's Community Health Centers and their state organization, the Georgia29 Primary Care Association, have worked diligently to increase th e number of Community30 Health Center sites in Georgia and have taken a leadership role in establishing more Health31 Centers in underserved communities to help resolve this state's health care access problems,32 demonstrating commendable efforts in continuous quality improvement, reduction of health33 disparities among the underserved, implementation of new health care initiatives such as the34 integration of medical and behavioral health services, School-B ased Health Centers, and35 utilization of the latest technology to improve operations and delivery of services to more36 Georgians; and37 H. R. 1407 - 2 - 26 LC 129 9022 WHEREAS, Community Health Centers deserve commendation for thei r valuable38 contributions in expanding access to health care, their outstanding record of service, and their39 dedication to improving health care and the health status of Georgians.40 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that41 the members of this body recognize February 18, 2026, as Community Health Centers Day42 and commend the Georgia Primary Care Association for its laudab le service to patients in43 Georgia.44 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized45 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the46 Georgia Primary Care Association.47 H. R. 1407 - 3 -