Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2009

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $680,000 IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT FUNDING COMING TO ALBANY AND SCHENECTADY COUNTIES FOR EXPANDED SERVICE AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE CENTERS

Economic Recovery Act Will Fund Projects Under Department of Health and Human Services to Provide Greater Access to Care for Residents in Albany and Schenectady Counties

Funding Will Go Toward Adding Providers and Expanding Service and Hours of Operation - Will Provide Service to Estimated 90,000 Patients Across the Country

Albany and Schenectady Counties are Receiving $687,409 with Upstate New York in Line to Receive $8.8 Million Total

Today, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that two Community health centers in Albany and Schenectady Counties will be receiving $687,409 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will provide greater access to medical care for residents in the Capital Region and across the country. Funds will help add new providers, expand hours of operation and expand services to an estimated 90,000 New York patients, of which over 31,000 do not have health insurance. Community Health Centers across Upstate New York have been allocated a total of $8,831,567.

“These funds are just what the doctor ordered,” said Schumer. “In these tough economic times, this federal funding from the Economic Recovery Package will go a long way in ensuring that all residents have continued access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

Albany and Schenectady Counties have received a total of $687,409 through the Economic Recovery Act under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The numbers for the area break down as follows:

$312,420 for the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Community Health Center
$374,989 for the Schenectady Family Health Services, Inc.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released $338 million today through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand services offered at community health centers nationwide. The grants -- titled Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants -- will be distributed to 1,128 federally qualified health center grantees. Health centers will use the funds over the next two years to create or retain approximately 6,400 health center jobs.

Grantees previously submitted plans explaining how the IDS funds would be used. Strategies to expand services may include, but are not limited to, adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding services. The funds will provide care to an additional 2.1 million patients over the next two years, including approximately 1 million uninsured people.

These awards are the second set of health center grants provided through the Recovery Act. On March 2, President Obama announced grants worth $155 million to establish 126 new health centers. Those grants will provide access to health center care for 750,000 people in 39 states and two territories.

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