This is a press release from Sen. Chuck Schumer's Office:
Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer secured nearly $5 million in federal investments for Hudson River Health Care in Peekskill including a federal Capital Development Building Capacity grant totaling $4.5 million and a Capital Development Immediate Facility Improvement grant totaling $420,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The new construction funding will be used to renovate and expand Hudson River Health Care’s aging site in Peekskill, New York. It was included as part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“For 36 years, Hudson River HealthCare has provided essential health care to the Hudson Valley,” said Schumer. “These federal funds for Hudson River Health Care’s Peekskill facility are just what the doctor ordered for this health center to continue to deliver primary, preventative, and behavioral healthcare to nearly 50,000 New Yorkers.”
Hudson River Health Care’s project will provide expanded access to medical, dental, and mental health services for thousands of low-income residents.
In New York, Community health centers provide high quality, affordable and accessible primary medical, dental and preventive care to more than 1.4 million New Yorkers at over 470 sites in urban, suburban and rural settings.
Recent increased funding for America’s community health centers began with a $2 billion investment in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In 2010, the Affordable Care Act included $11 billion in funding for community health centers. The two laws combined will help America’s community health centers to serve nearly twice as many patients as before. The newly awarded funds will support renovation and construction projects and boost the centers’ ability to care for additional patients and while creating jobs in those communities. Community health centers are an integral source of local employment and economic growth in many underserved and low-income communities. In 2010, they employed more than 131,000 staff and new funds made available today will help create thousands of jobs nationwide.
As part of the ACA, the Capital Development-Building Capacity (CD-BC) is providing approximately $600 million to existing health centers across the country for longer-term projects to expand their facilities, hire more employees and serve more patients. The second grant, called the Capital Development-Immediate Facility Improvements (CD-IFI) emphasizes shorter-term projects and is providing approximately $100 million to existing health centers to address immediate facility needs. Health Center Program grantees requesting CD-BC funding must demonstrate how their proposal will lead to significant improvements in the health center’s capacity to address the existing and unmet needs of underserved patient populations. Health centers improve the health of the nation’s vulnerable populations and underserved communities by ensuring access to primary health care services. Currently, more than 8,100 service delivery sites around the country deliver care to nearly 20 million patients regardless of their ability to pay.
In addition to providing essential health care, community health centers also provide high-quality jobs in communities nationwide. In 2010, they employed more than 131,000 staff including 9,600 physicians, 6,400 nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, and certified nurse midwives, 11,400 nurses, 9,500 dental staff, 4,200 behavioral health staff, and more than 12,000 case managers and health education, outreach, and transportation staff. Since the beginning of 2009, health centers have added more than 18,600 new full-time positions in many of the nation’s most economically distressed communities. The funding awards announced today will infuse critical dollars into health centers and their surrounding communities, enhancing health centers’ ability to serve more patients and creating thousands of jobs across the country.
A copy of the Senator’s letter to Secretary Sebelius in support of Hudson River HealthCare’s Building Capacity application appears below:
November 7, 2011
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary
US Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Dear Secretary:
I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by Hudson River HealthCare for funding under the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Capital Development-Building Capacity Grant Program. Such funding will enable Hudson River HealthCare to renovate and expand its aging site in Peekskill, New York.
For 34 years, Hudson River HealthCare has provided innovative programs and services designed to meet the needs of at risk populations throughout New York State's Hudson Valley. To meet the growing needs of the Hudson Valley's uniquely diverse populations, Hudson River HealthCare has expanded to include thirteen health center sites and mobile healthcare services delivering comprehensive primary, preventive and behavioral healthcare throughout a nine county region to over 42,000 people.
I share Hudson River HealthCare’s commitment to increase access to high quality and primary and preventive healthcare services, especially for vulnerable populations, and am confident the proposed Peekskill renovation and expansion project will provide expanded access to medical, dental, and mental health services for thousands of low-income Peekskill residents. I applaud Hudson River HealthCare for its foresight, and I sincerely hope its application meets with your approval.
Thank you for your consideration. For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me in my Washington office.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
