By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 8, 2010; 8:49 PM

The Obama administration announced on Friday awards of more than $700 million to community health centers nationwide to help them build new medical clinics and bring older clinics into the technological age.

Officials from the Health and Human Services Department said the $727 million to 143 clinics will bring more health care to 745,000 underserved patients as part of the health-care overhaul. The nation's 1,100 rural and urban health centers last year served 19 million people, about 40 percent of whom had no insurance.

Virginia clinics received most of the awards in the Washington area, about $30 million. The District got slightly more than $6 million and Maryland was awarded slightly more than $3 million. California clinics received more than $85 million.

"There is no question that the economic downturn has made it harder for some Americans to get health care and important preventive services," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. "Community Health Centers provide quality healthcare services to Americans across the country but are a life line for those who have lost coverage or are between jobs."

The awards build on the more than $2 billion already invested in health centers from stimulus funds, Sebelius said. The health overhaul will provide $11 billion more for the operation, expansion and construction of the nation's community health centers.