STATE OF MINNESOTA
Office of Governor Mark Dayton
130 State Capitol #75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard « Saint Paul, MN 55155
January 31,2018
“The Honorable Amy Klobuchar “The Honorable Tina Smith
United States Sonate United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building 309 Hat Senate Office Building
‘Washington, DC 20515 ‘Washington, DC 20515
‘The Honorable Tim Walz The Honorable Jason Lewis
United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives
2313 Rayburn House Office Building 4418 Cannon House Office Building
‘Washington, DC 20515 ‘Washington, DC 20515
“The Honorable Erik Paulsen ‘The Honorable Betty MeCollum
United Stats House of Representatives United States House of Representatives
127 Cannon House Office Building 2256 Rayburn House Office Building
‘Washington, DC 20515 ‘Washington, DC 20515
‘The Honorable Keith Ellison ‘The Honorable Tom Emmer
United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives
2263 Rayburn House Office Building 5315 Cannon House Office Building
‘Washington, DC 20515 ‘Washington, DC 20515
‘The Honorable Collin Peterson ‘The Honorable Rick Nolan
United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives
2204 Rayburn House Office Building 2366 Rayburn House Office Building
‘Washington, DC 20515 ‘Washington, DC 20515
Dear Members ofthe Minnesota Congressional Delegation
Minnesota's Community Health Centers (CHC) provide crcial health, dental, and
mental health services to our Minnesotans and area vital component of our tates strong
healthcare safety net. CHC serve more than 180,000 patients regardless of their ability to pay at
more than 70 sits across Minnesota. Sadly, Congress has left longterm Federal funding fr this
program in limbo since last all, wreaking havoc on a system that serves some of Minnesota's
most vulnerable families,
‘Community Health Centers have been shown to improve health, reduce healthcare
oss, and provide acco 9 Minnesotans who otherwise would have nowhere to turn far health
ae other tha a hospital emergency room. Many CHC sites in Greater Minnesota are the only
provider for miles around that delivers care ona sliding fe sae
Voice: (651) 201-400 or (800 657-3717 ax (651) 797-1850, [MN Relay (600) 627-9509
‘isis pe! /govermorstate ns An Equal Opportunity Employer“Members of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, Pg, 2
Minnesota receives $38 million pr year in CHC funding from the federal
government. With Congress extending federal funding for this program only uni the end of |
“March, the potential $27 milion cut means many Minnesota CHCs are ina die financial
postion, preparing to send layo notices and scale back services with effets that can and will be
felt statewide, For example, a CHC in Greater Minnesota s being faced with multiple site