Staff Writer

Fourteen health centers in Maine will receive $3 million in federal grants to hire additional staff and expand primary care services, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday.

The individual grants range from $190,000 to $350,000, and will go to community health centers across the state, including in Sanford, Portland and Waterville.

The Affordable Care Act grants will allow the Maine centers to hire an estimated 48 new employees, including health care providers, expand operating hours and add such news services as oral health, mental and behavioral health, pharmacy services and vision care, the agency said in a news release. The money will help health centers serve an estimated 10,367 new patients in Maine, it said.

“These funds will enable health centers to provide high-quality primary health care to more people including the newly insured, many of whom may be accessing primary care for the first time in Maine,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in the news release.

Nationally, $295 million was awarded to 1,195 health centers, which are a key component of the federal health care reform law.

There are nearly 1,300 health centers providing care to more than 21.7 million patients nationwide. In Maine, 19 health centers serve 182,546 patients.

To see a list of award winners, click here. To find a health center in your area, click here.