BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The Charles B. Wang Community
Health Center in
Flushing has been awarded
more than $10 million in
federal funds to administer
COVID-19 vaccinations, as
well as COVID-19 testing and
treatment.
The funding, allocated by
the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS),
was made available under the
American Rescue Plan, the
COVID-19 relief bill that President
Joe Biden signed into law
after it was approved by Congress
last month.
Congresswoman Grace
Meng, who supported the legislation
and helped pass the
measure in the House of Representatives,
said she is proud
to announce that the vital
funding will greatly help her
congressional district recover
from the pandemic.Meng visited
the Charles B. Wang Community
Health Center, located
at 137-43 45th Ave., on Friday,
April 16, to thank the staff
members for their outstanding
work during the COVID-19
crisis.
“Getting shots into people’s
arms was one of the key components
of the American Rescue
Plan, and I am extremely
pleased that this relief package
will expand access to vaccines
for many of my constituents,
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.4 COM | APRIL 23-APRIL 29, 2021
particularly in underserved
neighborhoods,” Meng said at
a press conference at the center.
Kaushal Challa, CEO of the
Charles B. Wang Community
Health Center, said they’re
grateful to the Biden administration
Meng and Challa with the vaccination site staff.
for making funds available
through the American
Rescue Plan to expand vaccine
access and primary care in
underserved communities.
“COVID-19 has brought
into focus the many ways that
demographic and societal factors
affect people’s health,”
Challa said. “Health centers
like ours are reaching deep
into our communities to address
health inequities.”
According to Kaushal, the
center has administered over
27,000 vaccine doses so far,
with focus on those who are
elderly, or more likely to face
barriers when trying to access
healthcare.
Challa and Meng toured
the center’s new mass vaccination
site at the Benjamin
Rosenthal-Prince Street Innovative
Senior Center in Flushing.
The Congresswoman
announced more than $24 million
($24,469,750) in American
Rescue Plan funding for the
New York City Health and
Hospitals Corporation, which
operates New York City’s public
hospital system.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
Flushing health center receives more than
$10M in federal funds for COVID-19 vaccines
Kaushal Challa, CEO of the Charles B. Wang Community Health
Center in Flushing with Congresswoman Grace Meng.
Photos courtesy of Meng’s offi ce
Let’s end this
pandemic for good
#VaxUpCUNY
so I can inspire others, especially
communities of color
!"
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