President's Letter
We Stand for Community.
As Chittenden County’s only Federally Qualified Health Center, it’s our job to make our community healthier. We serve real Vermonters, just like Katie, who need access to the basic health services that keep them working, productive and independent. We’ve been around for 41 years and have grown with the community’s needs. We offer affordable medical care, dental care, counseling services, and as of this year, a new larger facility in Burlington to ensure our doors are always open to our growing community. Our programs and services aren’t designed for profit, but for people.
We Stand for Conscience.
This year 4,000 Vermonters without health insurance will find access to health and dental care at CHCB. Through our financial assistance programs, they will pay for their health care bills with dignity based on their ability to pay. At our Safe Harbor Health Center, homeless adults and families will find the welcoming care they need to work, overcome addiction, mental illness and disability and move into secure lives. Homeless kids will be immunized and cared for by a medical provider right in the family shelters. Low-income Burlington kids will access dental care and education to keep their smiles healthy for a life time. It’s the way health care should be.
We Stand for Cost-Effectiveness.
Our mission keeps community members out of the emergency room, manages chronic diseases more efficiently, and teaches the importance of preventative care and self-responsibility. But we’re not content to just offer access to care; we ensure the best care to our community. In 2012, CHCB achieved national accreditation, at the highest level, as a Patient Centered Medical Home. As a community and state, we have major challenges ahead in the future of our health care system. With CHCB standing strong, the local health care system we all share will thrive. This is health care that works for Vermont; caring, high-quality, yet cost-effective.
Please Help Us Stand Strong.
This year, over 15,000 Vermonters will benefit from CHCB’s programs. This is an increase of 21% in just one year. In this historic year of growth, we will subsidize well over $1.3 million worth of health care services and we need your support. Demand for assistance through our Sliding-Fee Scale Program shows no sign of slowing.
For over 41 years, CHCB has been a leader in providing a health care safety net. Today, we need you to stand with us and invest in our commitment to a high-quality health care home for all members of our community. Please give generously to help CHCB sustain and grow our mission of health care for all without regard to ability to pay. Please donate now.
With thanks for your support,
Peter Gunther, M.D.
President, CHCB Board of Directors
P.S. Katie* came to CHCB uninsured and working three jobs to make ends meet. While today she works as a professional with full benefits, she has never forgotten the help she received from CHCB when she was just starting her adult life, struggling and worried about her health. Still a patient, Katie is healthy and building a good life in Vermont. With your help, Katie and thousands more Vermonters just like her, can face a more secure and healthy future.
*Names and identifying details changed to ensure privacy.
