Biden Harris

Only a sliver of the funding allocated through the American Rescue Plan has been steered to mental health nationwide, but advocates and clinicians hope the money will help address gaps in care for children.

The intensified scrutiny comes nearly two years after COVID-19 exposed subpar care and extreme staffing shortages that had long festered in the facilities.

Those who know Wakefield say her high standards and problem-solving skills make her a good fit for the job of helping “reset” the agency after its failures handling the COVID pandemic.

Nonprofit federally funded health centers are a linchpin in the nation’s health care safety net because they treat the medically underserved. The average profit margins is 5%, but some have recorded margins of 20% or more in three of the past four years.

The selection will make Harris the third woman and first Black and first Asian American candidate to be nominated for vice president by a major political party.