MENENDEZ, LAUTENBERG, PALLONE ANNOUNCE $2.6 MILLION FOR NJ HEALTH CARE CENTERS AS RECOVERY PACKAGE FUNDS BEGIN ARRIVING IN NJCommunity health centers in Lakewood and Long Branch to receive federal funding, strengthen health safety net, create up to 180 jobs WASHINGTON - As part of the initial funding coming to New Jersey from the economic recovery package passed two weeks ago, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6) today announced $2.6 million to increase access to affordable health care for New Jerseyans and create jobs through community health centers. The Lakewood Resource and Referral Center in Lakewood and the Monmouth Family Health Center in Long Branch will receive support from this funding to strengthen the health care safety net for the growing number of New Jerseyans in need."The more New Jersey families feel their budgets tighten in these tough economic times, the more important it is to guarantee that quality, affordable health care is available," said Senator Menendez. "The health of our families cannot be another casualty of this economic crisis. Community health centers are health care pillars that help ensure New Jerseyans have access to affordable health care, and the number of families who will rely on these centers will grow in this deep economic recession. Keeping New Jerseyans healthy and reducing health care costs are important pieces of an economic recovery, and they were important parts of the recovery package we worked with President Obama to enact.""In these tough economic times, we should be making it easier for states to provide health care for our families--not harder," Sen. Lautenberg said. "This funding for Lakewood and Long Branch will go a long way toward keeping our communities healthy by making sure our residents can see a doctor and get the medicines they need close to home.""Today, we are seeing how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help thousands of families here in New Jersey," Pallone said.  "The community health centers in Long Branch and Lakewood provide essential preventive and primary health care services to those most in need of assistance, including many with no health insurance.  I commend the Obama administration for approving this funding quickly, so that it can be put to good use on behalf of New Jersey families hit hard by the economic recession."These health centers will help people in need - many with no health insurance - obtain access to the comprehensive primary and preventive health care services and create 180 jobs in New Jersey, according to the White House.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA), nationwide network of 1,100 health center grantees across the nation provide health care at more than 7,000 sites, ranging from large medical facilities to clinics and mobile vans. In 2007, health centers served 16.1 million patients, regardless of their ability to pay. Charges for services are set according to income, and only nominal fees are collected from the poorest patients.  Nationally, about 39 percent of health center patients have no health insurance.###