Stimulus money boosts health clinics serving poor

[babylonsister]

Stimulus money boosts health clinics serving poor

By KRISTEN WYATT
Associated Press Writer


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- Homeless teenagers at a central Colorado shelter are feeling the effect of the government's economic stimulus package. It's the feeling of a dentist's drill.

The 20 runaway youths living at the Urban Peak shelter had no regular dental care until this spring, when a $1.3 million stimulus grant to a community health center paid for a mobile dental and medical clinic to visit once a month. The residents now get medical and dental screenings, and cavities filled, right from their shelter's parking lot.

"I knew my teeth needed to be fixed but I had no money," says Michelle Daulton, 18, who has been living at the shelter for about four months and hadn't seen a dentist since she was 13.

Now she's had three chipped teeth repaired. "It was absolute and pure relief, I mean that," she said.

From the Colorado homeless shelter to rural Pennsylvania clinics that can accept new patients, health centers that serve the poor are among the first places the federal stimulus package is being spent.

The stimulus law sets aside $2.5 billion for free and low-cost health clinics, and a big chunk of it - about $500 million - is already being spent. The White House has promised another burst of money this summer.


more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_STIMULUS_HEALTH_CLINICS?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[SemiCharmedQuark]

1. Here in Chicago, there have been several news stories about the stimulus money and how much good it

is doing, even if unemployment has risen. It's interesting.

[rosesaylavee]

2. There are a lot of construction projects helping to

renovate and expand these clinics all over the country. I know this as it is part of the research end of my current job. This is a very very good stimulus package and I only hope that people start to realize all the good that it's doing sooner than later.

[eilen]

3. I think its great but...

stimulus was supposed to provide jobs and repair infrastructure. It doesn't help the economy with real jobs.

Let the health care bill take care of healthcare.

Not that I begrudge homeless teens getting dental care. I just think that the legislation needs to be effective in it's purpose.

[babylonsister]

4. Did you read the second response?

It is providing jobs, slowly but surely. And since the money was put in for the purpose of helping the poor, that also was a part of what the stimulus is supposed to do. I'd say it's working.

[lynne]

5. I thought the very same thing -

- and, while I'm glad they got the dental care, the application of stimulus money in this situation doesn't generate real jobs other than the dentist and the truck driver.

When stimulus funds are spent for things other than stimulus, it weakens the impact of the legislation and negatively reflects upon the effectiveness of the stimulus.

[sisters6]

6. I believe they put these types under the category of "jobs prevented

from being lost"--so they count. They have used stim money for saving police jobs also.

But I do agree with your sentiment.

[Javaman]

7. It's amazing what a clean set of fixed chops will do for a persons mental state. nt

[sutz12]

8. And their employment prospects...

:shrug:

[babylonsister]

9. That's a great point. I imagine the self-confidence

is heightened.

[Divine Discontent]

10. I know right where this is - kick - because I hear people gripe about the local stimulus cash to

states as not having any impact. They put a security scanning system in the airport here that cost millions and will save time - I was shocked when the local fox news reported it and Janet's visit highlighting it.

It's highly welcome when taxpayer money gets spend on the taxpayers and not banks getting hundreds of billions.

:kick: