WINCHESTER, Va. — Shenandoah Community Health is recognizing National Health Center Week (NHCW) 2025, which runs August 3–9, to highlight the vital role Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in improving public health and expanding access to care for underserved populations.

NHCW is an initiative of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and this year’s theme is “America’s Health Centers: Celebrating 60 Years of Improving our Nation’s Health.” Events nationwide include resource fairs, back-to-school drives, health screenings, and visits from local, state, and national leaders.

CHCs serve 32.5 million patients across the U.S. and are staffed by more than 310,000 professionals. They provide high-quality, affordable care regardless of patients’ ability to pay or insurance status, while also addressing social and economic factors that affect health.

Federal funding for CHCs is set to expire in September, and NACHC warns that proposed legislation and Medicaid cuts could cost centers $7 billion annually, threaten care for 4 million patients, and force staff layoffs and clinic closures—potentially leading to up to 6,000 preventable deaths each year.

CHCs serve one in five uninsured Americans, one in three people living in poverty, and nearly 9.4 million children. They account for just 1% of national healthcare spending while serving 10% of the population.

For more information, visit www.nachc.org and www.healthcenterweek.org.

Information from a release. Edited by Dan McDermott.