Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This week is National Health Center Week themed: “Rooted in Communities” and the crew from the local Dept. of Health will be out and about, schooling local residents on the services provided at the health centers across the island.

Yesterday, a team from DOH was posted at the Utu guesthouse in Amouli. Tomorrow, they will be at the Leone Health Center, and then on Friday, Aug. 9th, they will be at the Tafuna Health Center.

For 50 years, America's community health centers have delivered “high quality, cost effective, and accessible primary and preventative care to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Health centers are located in medically underserved areas and are locally controlled by patient-majority boards, making each health center responsive to the needs of the specific community it serves.

“Community health centers offer patient-focused, coordinated health care – preventive and primary care that families and individuals need, where and when they need it.”

In American Samoa, Director of Health, Motusa Tuileama Nua, is urging all residents to visit their community health center and celebrate the important partnership between America Samoa’s Health Centers and the communities they serve.

From August 5-9, there will be a health fair booth at each site, highlighting the types of services available at the local health centers. Four major clinics are available at each site: Primary (all age groups); dental; pediatric (0 – 17 years of age); and women’s health.

The Tafuna Health Clinic has a laboratory and a satellite station for the LBJ Pharmacy. Various preventive screenings that are offered include breast and cervical cancer, depression, oral health, alcohol, tobacco, obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

The DOH reminds locals that anyone can get primary health care services at any of the territory’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), whether you are a resident or not, free of charge. FQHC or community health centers offer many healthcare services. “Consider it a one-stop-shop, like a healthcare mall for all your healthcare needs.”

Primary healthcare services like regular physical exams, immunizations and well-care visits for children can ensure that “health problems are diagnosed early and appropriate preventive care is provided in a timely manner.”

DOH programs available locally include: Helping Hands (Part C Early Intervention); the Immunization Program; Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Maternal and Child Health; Aiga Manuia (Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting); and Tuberculosis/Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Infection.

Refreshments and free giveaways will be available.

ABOUT

National Health Center Week offers the opportunity to recognize America’s health centers, their staff, board members, and all those responsible for the continued success and growth of the program since its creation five decades ago.

According to a media release from DOH, “The health center model continues to prove an effective means of overcoming barriers to access, including geography, income and insurance status, and, in doing so, improves health care outcomes and reduces health care system costs. Health centers remain committed to preserving and expanding access to the health care homes in the communities they serve, ensuring that the promise of coverage is translated into the reality of care.”

Across the nation, health centers “employ more than 11,300 physicians and more than 8, 400 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives, along with social workers, case managers, and community health workers, as part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team designed to treat the whole patient, coordinating care and managing chronic disease, while reducing unnecessary and wasteful use of health resources.”

More information can be obtained by calling Kenneth Kuala or Dr. Fuimaono at 699-6380