$55-million grant helps create jobs in Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The tax bill passed by Congress late last year included money for grants as part of the New Markets Tax Credit Program.

A lot in Selma just off of highways 43 and 99 will soon be home to a new health center. It is just one project funded by a $55-million grant from New Markets Tax Credit.

TJ Cox is the president of the Central Valley NMTC Fund, he says five-million dollars of the grant will go toward the new facility in Selma that will provide medical, dental and eye care.

His community development program works with smaller programs that need money to make services in the Central Valley possible to those in need. United Health centers will run the new Selma facility.

Congressman Jim Costa says the lack of health care and physicians in smaller cities is a major problem. Costa says there's less than one physician for every thousand people in the Central Valley.

"It just underlines the importance of these health care clinics especially in our rural areas where cities are further away. It is more cost effective being better care than ending up in an emergency room in Fresno or Hanford or Visalia," Costa said.

The construction of the new facility in Selma should be complete in early September and will open to the public soon after.