WRAL-TV Report: Community health centers on front line of expanding care

CARRBORO, N.C. — The federal government will dole out $1 billion in the coming months to community health centers nationwide so they can expand to accommodate the crush of patients health care reform is expected to bring.

The money, which health centers must apply for, is part of $11 billion the government will allocate to community health centers in the next few years under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Federal funds will help the centers hire staff, provide services, convert paper medical records to electronic ones and add exam rooms.

"This expansion is something we're really looking forward to because we can finally see more people," said Brian Toomey, chief executive of Piedmont Health Services Inc., a nonprofit company that operates centers in Burlington, Carrboro, Moncure, Prospect Hill and Siler City.

See full WRALreport here.

• Reporter: Renee Chou
• Photographer: Edward Wilson
• Producer: Martha Woodward
• Web Editor: Matthew Burns