Anthem to Help Ohio Community Health Centers Increase Access to COVID-19 Testing in Disadvantaged Communities

Columbus, Ohio – As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases again rise across Ohio, 20 community health centers serving many of the state’s most challenged communities are receiving much-needed funds to support accelerated COVID-19 testing. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio is giving $100,000 to the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, who will disperse the funds to member health centers across the state. This is part of Anthem’s ongoing commitment to the people and communities it serves, and to provide greater access to care throughout this pandemic.

Community health centers have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing healthcare to medically underserved populations in rural and urban settings. Ohio’s community health centers, 56 in total, provide affordable, quality, whole person care that includes medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision and supplemental services to more than 850,000 Ohioans. Each center is designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center/FQHC Look-Alike by HHS.

“We stand with Ohio communities, as we have for more than 60 years, to keep people safe and continue to work toward healthcare equality for all,” explained Tiffany Inglis, MD, medical director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. “As we battle with COVID-19, it’s critical that we ramp up testing across the state and nowhere is that more important than areas served by community health centers. These funds will go a long way to increasing critical access to testing.”

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