An expansion to the Johnnie Ruth Clarke Health Center in South St. Petersburg has provided jobs and has successfully expanded health services to the community. Congresswoman Kathy Castor participated today in the grand opening of the Women’s Health Center, adjacent to Johnnie Ruth Clarke. The new building was funded, in part, with money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Castor helped direct the money to our community and participated in the ground breaking ceremony in May.

“The goal of the Recovery Act is to bring jobs to our community. One of the ways we said we would do that was to improve health care for our neighbors,” Castor said. “The new Women’s Health Center is a shining example of this. It has led to job creation, and the community will have access to outstanding and affordable health care. This is what the Recovery Act is all about.

“Seeing what we started working on some time ago come to fruition today is a testament to all of the dedication of our community,” Castor continued.

Castor pushed for Community Health Centers of Pinellas to be awarded $1.1 million through the Recovery Act for construction of the new health center and to expand the use of electronic health records throughout the network’s clinics. The new clinic expands Johnnie Ruth Clark’s focus on serving women, with top-notch OB/GYN care and other women-targeted health care resources. Women are at high risk for some leading chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. However, these ailments can be detected early or even prevented when women see doctors for regular screenings.

In addition to the new Women’s Health Center in South St. Petersburg, the Recovery Act has led to new jobs and clinics across the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Family Health Centers opened a new location this year near Leto High School. Another new clinic is scheduled to open next month in East Tampa.

“Community health centers are a vital lifeline for many Floridians,” Castor said. “With help from the Recovery Act, we are creating and retaining health care and construction jobs and ensuring that our neighbors have welcoming clinics for medical care.”