Norwich — United Community & Family Services celebrated finally becoming a federally qualified health center with a breakfast and champagne toast Wednesday on Norwichtown Green, a designation that gives it access to federal grants for services and facilities.

"Now the floodgates of money can open," said Chuck Seeman, chief executive officer of UCFS.

The designation, announced Tuesday, came after eight years of lobbying and application efforts by UCFS and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, who praised the health clinic staff for their persistence and determination.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the state's federal congressional delegation wrote letters of support, along with the local legislative delegation.

"This is such an incredibly happy day for me," Courtney said, adding that the designation gives UCFS the financial stability it needs to continue providing quality medical services to underserved populations.

The designation was made possible by a "rare burst of intelligence" in Congress in April, Courtney said, when it passed a Medicare bill that allowed the federal Department of Health and Human Services to reopen its process of qualifying health centers.

Seeman said the new status means UCFS will now have malpractice insurance through the federal government and can start to offer new specialty care services to add to its primary care, dental and mental health services. Obstetrics and cardiology are among specialty services under consideration, he said.

Before receiving the designation Tuesday, UCFS was a "federal look-alike" health center, providing the same services as federally qualified centers but not eligible for operating grants and other funding. UCFS had to rely on state grants for renovations and expansion projects, according to Seeman.

UCFS will now receive $650,000 annually in federal funds for operating costs. Having malpractice costs covered will save "several hundred thousand dollars a year" that can be put toward patient services, Seeman said.

"We'll also have access to federal grants for capital projects and patient-centered medical home grants," he said.

The celebration took place against a backdrop of 17,000 flags planted on the green by UCFS volunteers to represent the 17,000 patients who received care from the agency last year.

"These flags represent the 17,000 lives enriched and improved by the UCFS health center," said Pamela Allen Kinder, UCFS' vice president of marketing and facilities. 

j.benson@theday.com

Twitter: @BensonJudy