To meet the growing need for access to primary care services throughout New York state, the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) has awarded six grants totaling $600,000 to expand the capacity of health centers.
Among the recipients is Hudson Headwaters Health Network of Glens Falls, for the purpose of expanding capacity in two Adirondack communities.
The grants will help community health centers in five medically under-served regions–Southern Tier, North Country-Adirondacks, Capital District, Central Leatherstocking-Catskills, Hudson Valley–take practical steps to care for more patients, expand existing sites, establish new sites, and/or increase the range of services provided, NYSHealth officials said.
“Community health centers are on the front lines of primary care, and making sure they have the capacity to serve the growing number of New Yorkers in need of their services is critical,” said James R. Knickman, president and CEO of NYSHealth.
Successful implementation of Federal health reform will require expanded primary care access for the estimated 1.2 million New Yorkers who will gain health insurance coverage and for the 1.4 million who will likely remain uninsured. Community health centers–ranging from a storefront free clinic to sophisticated operations running facilities across a multi-county region–play an important role in providing primary care services, officials said.
But many community health centers struggle with low margins, limited funding, and growing demand. When health reform is fully implemented, community health centers are expected to double capacity to serve 3 million New Yorkers, according to NYSHealth.
These grant awards will support a range of activities to help community health centers in under-served areas meet growing demand for services: clinical and business planning; real estate assistance; workforce recruitment and training; and consolidations.
Projects were selected through a competitive Request for Proposals and reviewed by a panel of NYSHealth staff and external reviewers.
NYSHealth is a private, statewide foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable. Today, NYSHealth concentrates its work in three strategic priority areas: expanding health care coverage, improving diabetes prevention; and advancing primary care. The foundation is committed to making grants, informing health care policy and practice, spreading effective programs to improve the health system, serving as a neutral convener of health leaders across the state, and providing technical assistance to our grantees and partners.