The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has awarded two new Milwaukee health center sites more than $1.6 million in Affordable Care Act funding.
The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. received $541,667 and Progressive Community Health Centers Inc. received $1,083,333. The HHS said these new sites are projected to increase access to health care services for 9,774 patients.
The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center is moving into a new 40,300-square-foot center in November. It will be located in the historic Goldman’s Department Store at 930 West Historic Mitchell St. in Milwaukee.
The center was in need of an expanded facility as it has nearly doubled its patience base to 6,800 over the past two years. It is currently located two blocks away in a 13,400-square-foot facility at 1711 S. 11th St.
Progressive Community Health Centers moved into its new Lisbon Avenue Health Center in February. Located at 3522 West Lisbon Ave., the new 42,000-square-foot building is five times the size of its former century-old facility next door that it occupied since 1999.
The funding for the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center and Progressive Community Health Centers was part of $169 million in Affordable Care Act funding awarded to 266 new health center sites in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
According to the HHS, the funding increases access to health care services for more than 1.2 million patients.
The awards build on the $101 million awarded to 164 new health center sites in May 2015.
