[Bismarck, ND] – Last week, Governor Burgum signed Senate Bill 2155, which will provide a two million dollar appropriation over the next biennium to the state’s five community health centers serving over 34,000 North Dakotas in 19 communities.

North Dakota’s community health centers (CHC) play a unique role in the health care system by finding gaps in care and working to fill them. For example, they serve patients without stable housing, work to meet the needs of refugee and resettlement populations, provide care for migrant farmworkers, and provide access to care in remote rural regions of the state. In addition, they offer dental services to underserved populations, and they have stepped up to play a significant role in addressing the opioid epidemic and meeting the behavioral health needs of their patient populations.

CHAD Board Chair, and Spectra Health CEO, Mara Jiran says, “We are so excited and appreciative of the support for our work, both from the legislature and the Governor. These additional resources will help us sustain existing services and fill gaps in access to care for underserved populations across North Dakota.”

CHC CEOs have highlighted that these funds will be used to sustain a needed community resource for the most vulnerable to offset the costs of uncompensated care; boost medical, mental health, and dental health services to patients; provide care coordination and case management; support needed infrastructure for health IT investments that support quality improvement, maintenance, and building and office space repair; and, overcome barriers to health in underserved communities to support access to healthy food and affordable housing, sustain outreach, translation, transportation, and other non-billable services. 

CHAD and the community health centers are grateful to the North Dakota legislature, specifically Senators Lee (Fargo), Hogan (Fargo), Houge (Minot), and Representatives Dobervich (Fargo), Ruby (Minot), and Striden (Fargo), who were the original sponsors of the bill, and the House and Senate Human Services and Appropriations Committee leadership and members. We also appreciate the support from Governor Burgum and his team.