Dear Friends,

While our metroplex’s local economy has been growing at one of the fastest rates in the country, some in our District have been unable to participate in our community’s booming development. Texas has unfortunately long held the highest uninsured rate in America, and over 10% of Tarrant County children are uninsured. Lack of health coverage and access to care is not just a personal problem, it’s a problem for our entire community. The North Texas Area Community Health Centers network is on a mission to change that, and I’ve been proud to support them since day one.

It’s in our DNA as Texans to roll up our sleeves and lend a mighty hand to neighbors in need, and the North Texas Area Community Health Centers are testament to that. Since being founded as a non-profit network in 2002 by concerned residents, faith-based groups, and local health and social services providers, North Texas Area Community Health Centers have cared for our community, with a focus on those who are low-income or without insurance. The North Texas Area Community Health Centers’ original facility, the Northside Community Health Center, is right here in our District, and today serves around 13,500 Texas 12 residents every year. As our District’s only community health center, it’s not just a medical clinic, but also a public health problem-solver, treating some of our community’s most vulnerable residents and addressing social issues like lack of nutrition, mental illness, and substance abuse.

Soon after the North Texas Area Community Health Centers network was established, I worked with health and civic leaders in Texas and Washington, like Senator John Cornyn, to secure ten Texas community health centers the status of being a “Federally Qualified Health Clinic”, to provide them increased access to federal funding and resources. As a result of our crusade, one of the health centers that achieved this status was our own Northside Community Health Center. When I spoke there in 2011, however, I could see how the roughly 10,000-square-foot facility was already so popular that it was straining to keep up with demand. With so many in our community dependent on the center’s affordable, accessible services, I proudly started a $15.3 million capital campaign to secure the resources that the center needed to build a brand new 34,000-square-building. For my support, the North Texas Area Community Health Centers graciously awarded me their “Community Hero Award” in 2017. The following year, I stood with local leaders and cut the ribbon to open the Northside Community Health Center’s impressive new building, which has since allowed it to all but double its patient-serving capacity. The capital campaign continues to deliver for the Northside Health Center and make it even greater: this summer, the Morris Foundation, which supports organizations that break barriers and unlock opportunities for vulnerable Fort Worthians, awarded the Northside Health Center $1 million as part of the capital campaign.

Especially amid this year’s pandemic, the health and wellness of everyone in our community remains my top priority as your representative in Congress. I’m proud to continue doing my part in Washington to keep supporting our community’s healthcare champions like the Northside Community Health Center, as they care for our medically-underserved neighbors, saving lives and serving social justice. 

Sincerely,

Kay Granger
Member of Congress