Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2012

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $441,667 FEDERAL GRANT FOR HUDSON HEADWATERS HEALTH NETWORK TO BUILD NEW HEALTH CLINIC IN CLINTON COUNTY

Schumer Pushed Department of Health and Human Services to Allocate Grant Money to Create New Health Center in Clinton County and Expand Services to Thousands of North Country Residents

Schumer Successfully Secures Grant That Will Fund Creation of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Clinton County to Provide Primary, Dental and Behavioral Care

Schumer: This Is A Huge Win for North Country Residents

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a $481,667 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant that will fund the creation of a federally qualified health center in Clinton County. Hudson Headwaters Health Network (HHHN) already serves over 60,000 patients in the North Country Region. This grant will allow HHHN to expand and a new clinic in Champlain, NY that will serve over 5,000 residents of Champlain, Rouses Point, Altona, Chazy, Mooers and West Chazy. HHHN will provide these new patients with much-needed primary, dental and behavioral health services.

“This is a huge win for North Country residents that will now have a new federally qualified health center,” said Schumer. “Residents of Clinton County have long needed more permanent health clinics and I applaud the Department of Health and Human Services for stepping up to the plate and providing funding to create them. Now, thousands of North Country residents will be able to get the care they need.”

Schumer’s push will improve primary, dental and behavioral care for North Country residents in need of improved health care. With this HHS support, HHHN will expand its network and establish a new health center in Clinton County. This new health center will provide primary care, pediatrics, family medicine, women’s health, behavioral health, and preventative oral health services to over 5,000 medically underserved patients. Since 1974, the Hudson Headwaters Health Network has been the leading primary care provider in the rural Adirondack region, serving over 60,000 patients.

This grant was one of many awarded to community health centers across the country today by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The grants awarded to 20 New York health centers totaled 10.5 million. A total of $128.6 million was awarded across the United States in the form of 219 awards. New York received the second largest number of awards in the country. These grants will help expand access to care for more than 1.25 million additional patients and create approximately 5,640 jobs by establishing new health center service delivery sites. Community health centers work to improve the health of the nation by ensuring access to quality primary health care services.

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.

According to the Community Health Care Association of New York State, this funding opportunity is historic in its significance as it represents an unprecedented investment by the federal government in FQHCs and has the potential to expand New York State’s primary care system as never before, bringing essential new services to some of the highest-need areas. The awards announced today will infuse critical dollars into New York's health centers and their surrounding communities, enhancing health centers’ ability to serve more patients and creating thousands of jobs across the country.

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.

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 Sen. Schumer’s letter appears below:

The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary

U.S. 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 the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, Inc. for funding under the Health Resources and Services Administration’s New Access Point Program. Such funding will enable the Hudson Headwaters Health Network to establish a new section 330 community health center in Clinton County.

Since 1974, the Hudson Headwaters Health Network has been the leading primary care provider in the rural Adirondack region, serving over 60,000 patients. Today, Hudson Headquarters proposes to expand its service area, establishing a health center to serve the residents of Champlain, Rouses Point, Altona, Chazy, Mooers, and West Chazy in Clinton County. The county’s residents currently suffer from high rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma, and the situation is further exacerbated by limited access to primary, dental and behavioral health services.

With support, Hudson Headwaters Health Network will establish a Federally Qualified Health Center, which will provide primary care, pediatrics, family medicine, women’s health, behavioral health, and preventative oral health services to over 5,000 medically underserved patients. I applaud Hudson Headwaters Health Network, Inc. for its foresight and dedicated service to the residents of the Adirondack region. I sincerely hope that the application meets with your approval.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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