STOCKTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday awarded a $691,667 grant to Community Medical Centers Inc. to help it establish a new health center service delivery site.

The grant was part of a $30.6 million package awarded to support 46 new health center sites throughout California serving a largely poor population.

The funds, made available by the Affordable Care Act, will help care for approximately 333,187 additional Californians. Nationwide, 236 health center programs will receive approximately $150 million in grant awards to serve more than1.25 million additional patients.

Health centers such as Stockton-based Community Medical Centers, with 13 clinics in San Joaquin and Solano counties, work to improve a region’s health by ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services.