Rep. Pete Aguilar announced more than $500,000 in federal grant funding for three Inland Empire health care providers. SAC Health System (SACHS), a San Bernardino-based community health care provider, received a total of $369,750 split between two grants, the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health (SBCDPH) received $93,013 and Inland Behavioral Health Services received $45,750. The funding comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and will allow local health care providers to invest in patient services like addiction counseling, mental health services, vaccine readiness and more.

“It’s more important than ever that we invest in community-based health solutions to make sure all Inland Empire residents have access to high-quality, affordable care. I’m proud to support funding that empowers our local providers to invest in comprehensive treatment options for our community,” said Rep. Aguilar.

“SACHS continues to be thankful for funding received from the HRSA to support Integrated Behavioral Health Services in the Inland Empire. Individuals in need of substance use disorder treatment and mental health services often have difficulty finding compassionate, empathetic, and readily available services integrated behavioral health services, and SACHS has stepped up to meet their needs. The award of $334,000 will allow SACHS to continue to provide high quality substance use disorder treatment services to individuals ready to make a change and improve their quality of life. We are also honored to receive funding from the HRSA recognizing our accomplishments in expanding access to care, improving care quality and outcomes, reducing health disparities, enhancing health information technology for quality improvement, and achieving the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Level 3 recognition. The $35,750 award will be used to expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure and to improve primary health care service delivery.  SACHS is thankful to Congressman Aguilar for his ongoing support and commitment to improving the health of the residents of his district,” said Jason Lohr, M.D., President and CEO of SACHS.

“SBCDPH Health Centers propose to use the QI funding to purchase AccuVax machines for vaccine management. The machines will allow the Health Centers to safeguard vaccine viability, which minimizes waste and loss, and improves accuracy with vaccine inventory,” said Jennifer Baptiste-Smith, CEO of SBCDPH Health Centers.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, the committee responsible for funding agencies like HRSA.