CASSOPOLIS — Cassopolis Family Clinic Network announced Feb. 4 it was awarded silver status for its advocacy work.

The National Association of Community Health Centers presented the award. It follows Cass Family Clinic’s bronze status achieved in December 2017.

An Advocacy Center of Excellence, or ACE, is a health center that creates a culture of advocacy to ensure that policy makers at all levels of government commit to investing in affordable, equitable and innovative care that health centers provide, said Rose Willson, marketing and development coordinator for Cass Family Clinic. ACE levels recognize consistent engagement, success and demonstrated ongoing commitment to making advocacy an organizational priority, she said.

ACEs are actively engaged and involved with NACHC and federal policy issues, as well as their state primary care association and key state- and local-level policy issues impacting health centers and their patients.

“Today, Community Health Centers across the country are facing an uncertain future,” said Cass Family Clinic Network CEO Marry Geegan Middleton. “Even though health centers comprise the largest primary care network in the country, solidifying the backbone of the healthcare safety net, Congress has yet to pass long-term funding. As a result, health centers are forced to operate on short-term funding patches, making it difficult to provide consistent services, plan for the future, and recruit and retain the best employees.”

ACEs help community health centers fight for such issues, she said.

For additional advocacy information, Willson said to call her at (269) 445-3874.