Thousands more Vermonters will have access to affordable health care each year once the Community Health Center of Burlington finishes its expansion. The expansion is funded, thanks to nearly $11 million of federal stimulus money.

"This represents not just the start of a new building, but it is also a part of what I believe will be a revolution in access to primary health care across Vermont and this country," Sen. Bernie Sanders said.

A Burlington Free Press editorial agreed with Sanders, writing: "The nation has a better chance of controlling health care cost in the long run if Americans are healthier, focus on prevention and catch problems before they become conditions that will cost much more to treat." 

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, BY THE NUMBERS:

• 13 billion - The total amount of money secured by Sen. Bernie Sanders in the new health care law and federal stimulus package to double the number of Americans treated at health centers throughout the U.S.
• 40 million - The number of Americans that will receive health care at community health centers after the number of sites are doubled to 15,000.
• 96.5 - The percent of the $11.3 million expansion of the Community Health Center of Burlington that was paid for with federal stimulus dollars.
• 8 - Number of federally qualified health centers in Vermont now.
• 2 - Number of federally qualified health centers in Vermont a decade ago.
• 121,000 - The number of Vermonters estimated to get their primary care from community health care facilities at 48 health center sites.

Read a fact sheet about the effort.  Read a study that documents more than $180 billion of savings from the national network of health centers.