GEORGETOWN — Senator Chris Coons met with members of La Red Health Center’s executive team in Georgetown Tuesday to discuss the community’s access to affordable healthcare.
La Red, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is Sussex County’s only federally qualified health center. The facility is available to all residents of Sussex County and receives approximately 15,000 medical visits from roughly 6,500 patients each year.
With the economic downturn and increased unemployment, there has been a large influx in residents seeking out La Red’s services. As a result, the Center has outgrown its current facility. In early February, La Red broke ground on a 15,000-square-foot facility with triple the amount of space and twice the number of examining rooms. During the meeting, the executives explained that one of their largest challenges was attracting doctors to their current center, due to the limited space and medical equipment. Thanks to the new facility, two new doctors, a dentist and a dental hygienist will be added to its current staff of 45 employees.
The Affordable Care Act allocates $11 billion over the next five years to federally qualified health facilities that are similar to La Red. This money will expand American’s access to quality, affordable healthcare.