With the help of a two-year, $1.7 million Affordable Care Act grant a new community health center will be open in South Portland, according to an announcement by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree.

The New Access Point Community Health Center grant, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will provide $355,848 for start-up costs and $650,000 in operation costs annually for the next two years.

“This is fantastic news for the area,” Pingree said in a press release. “The nation’s network of (local) health centers is critical to providing quality health care to one in every 14 Americans. I’m thrilled that we will now have one to serve the South Portland community.”

The grant recipient is the Portland Community Health Center, which identified the need for a new center in South Portland. “This community health center will make a huge difference for Mainers who are struggling to afford care,” Pingree added.

An exact location for the new South Portland Community Health Center has not yet been determined, but plans call for it to be placed in the Redbank-Brick Hill neighborhood, which is home to a large number of low-income individuals and families.

Pingree’s press release noted that South Portland has seen its number of low-income families increase in recent years, along with a growing refugee, immigrant and homeless population.

“Through partnerships with the South Portland Housing Authority and the school department, the center hopes to effectively reach these target groups,” the release states.

Leslie Clark, the chief executive officer at the Portland Community Health Center, said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to develop model programs and services for the people of South Portland that promote good health and wellness for all.”

She added, “We look forward to working closely with patients and organizations in South Portland to create a vibrant new center, which will open in December.”

The new center will have a focus on primary and preventive care, chronic disease management, mental health and substance abuse. By the end of the two-year-grant period, the center expects to see more than 4,500 patient visits.

Portland Community Health Center opened its first center in Portland in 2009 with assistance from the same New Access Point federal grant. See www.portlandcommunityhealthcenter.org for more information on the services provided and how to qualify for care.

– Kate Irish Collins