Worcester community health centers get $1.1M for coronavirus testing

Photo | Grant Welker Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester

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The Family Health Center of Worcester and the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester have received just over $1 million combined in federal aid to expand coronavirus testing capacity.

The funds, part of the $2-trillion CARES Act, were announced late Monday by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Worcester Democrat.

The Family Health Center received $533,344 and Kennedy Community Health Center got $529,324, according to McGovern's office. Both federally funded health centers, which generally treat lower-income residents and those without health insurance, can use the funding to expand testing capabilities, purchase protective equipment, train staff, and expand contact tracing of coronavirus patients.

The two health centers also received a total of $2.5 million in aid in late March and early April to help with needs during the pandemic.

Both health centers have set up special coronavirus screening areas during the pandemic and have treated less-severe coronavirus patients as a way to lighten the burden on acute-care hospitals such as Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. The centers' leaders have described expecting financial challenges from having to postpone most other care and move some services online during the outbreak.