National Health Center Week Aug. 7-13

More than 45.7 million people in the U.S. have no health insurance coverage, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers. In addition, an estimated 25 million Americans were underinsured in 2007 because their insurance did not provide adequate financial protection. Half of uninsured Americans have no regular source of care.

America's health centers, like the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s (TTUHSC) Larry Combest Community Health & Wellness Center, provide affordable, high-quality, cost-effective health care to more than 20 million underserved people in 7,000 communities in the U.S., D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

The TTUHSC Combest Center will celebrate National Health Center Week 2011, Aug. 7-13, by conducting public tours and free blood pressure, dental, diabetes and vision screenings from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 9 at 301 40^th St.

In addition, the Lubbock City Council and Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin will recognize the Combest Center and formally acknowledge National Health Center Week at 9 a.m. Aug. 11 during the City Council meeting at 1625 13th St.

The Combest Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving Lubbock and the surrounding areas. The Nurse Managed Center specializes in primary care and management of chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, hypertension and obesity for all ages. Nurse practitioners, family medicine physicians and pediatricians care for patients.

For more information about the Combest Center, call Michelle Hunter at 743-9393 ext. 239 or email michelle.hunter@ttuhsc.edu.

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