meadville tribune
JAMESTOWN — During National Health Center Week, Democrat U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper joined Primary Health Network officials at the Jamestown Health Center to highlight how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding has benefited the community health network. PHN has received more than $3.2 million in ARRA funding, bolstering their efforts to delivery quality medical care in their 13-county service area in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.
The event spotlighted the funding already used to hire additional staff and construct new exam rooms and class spaces at Jamestown Health Center.
“The Recovery Act funding is not only helping improve the delivery of quality medical coverage, but creating good paying jobs for western Pennsylvanians during these difficult economic times,” said Dahlkemper, whose Third District includes almost all of Crawford County.
Primary Health Network received $773, 866 in the first round of ARRA funding devoted to Increased Demand for Service (IDS), of which 57 percent will be spent in Dahlkemper’s district. This funding will cover the salaries of three new support staff members and an internal medicine physician at the Jamestown Health Center. A portion of the salaries will be allocated for rotating midwifery and obstetrics/gynecology providers to the health centers in Jamestown, Mercer and Sheakleyville.
During the second round of ARRA funding, the Capital Improvement Project (CIP), PHN received an additional $2.4 million for facility improvements at 15 of their 28 sites as well as monies for improvements to its computer network.
Also in Dahlkemper’s district, $110,600 will be provided for renovations at Petroleum Valley Medical Center in Butler County
Mercer County projects include:
n $75,600 for improvements at Sharon Medical Group;
n $42,600 for renovations at PHN Park Place in Farrell;
n $145,000 for improvements at Green Street Primary Care Building A in Farrell;
n $37,400 for renovations at Farrell Health Center;
n $23,900 for renovations at Transfer Health Center;
n $386,000 for an addition to Mercer Primary Care;
n $384,000 for an addition to Jamestown Health Center (included are additional exam rooms and an area for health education, exercise and nutrition classes under the auspices of our complementary medicine program);
n $124,715 toward improvements to information technology.
