SCHUMER ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT NEW HEALTHCARE DESIGNATION FOR UPSTATE NY’S COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS IN ROCHESTER, ALBANY, DUNKIRK & CORNWALL; FEDERAL DESIGNATION MEANS NEARLY $3 MILLION IN INITIAL FUNDING TO HELP INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES IN COMMUNITIES WITH VULNERABLE & UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS

Community Health Centers Will Provide Quality Health Care to Patients in Albany, Monroe, Orange, And Chautauqua Counties; Services Include Primary Care, Women’s Care, Low Cost Rx, Pediatric Care & More 

Schumer Announces ‘Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike’ Designation for These Upstate NY Community Health Centers; Healthcare Designation Means Better Access to Much-Needed Primary Health Care Services

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that Community Health Centers in Monroe, Albany, Orange and Chautauqua Counties have officially obtained critical designations as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes (FQHC). Schumer announced $983,333 in federal funding for the Rochester Primary Care Network, located in Monroe County; $600,000 for the Whitney M. Young Health Center, located in Albany County; $691,667 for the Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center Inc., located in Cornwall in Orange County; and $702,667 for The Chautauqua Center, located in Dunkirk in Chautauqua County. This funding will help increase access to critical health care services throughout these communities in Upstate New York. The FQHC Look-alike designation helps high-need communities strengthen primary and preventive care capacity. Schumer today said that the FHQC look-alike designations for these Community Health Centers are important, as they will provide the funding needed to increase the access and quality of primary health services to vulnerable populations in the community.

“Public community health centers provide critical primary health care services to some of our most vulnerable populations. Now, these Community Health Centers located in Monroe, Albany, Orange and Chautauqua Counties will officially have the federal designation necessary to increase access to comprehensive, quality primary care in communities across Upstate New York,” said Senator Schumer. “I applaud the Department of Health and Human Services for understanding the importance of quality health care and for approving these critically-needed designations.”

Community Health Centers across Upstate New York provide quality health care, preventive care and disease management to patients in communities across the state. Services typically include primary care, adolescent care, pediatrics, women’s care, immunizations, low-cost prescription drugs and nutritional counseling.

A FQHC look-alike is an organization that meets all of the eligibility requirements of an organization that receives a Public Health Service Act Section 330 grant, but does not receive grant funding. Look-alikes receive many of the same benefits as FQHCs, including: cost-based reimbursement for services provided under Medicare; reimbursement under the Prospective Payment System (PPS) or other State-approved Alternative Payment Methodology for services provided under Medicaid; eligibility to purchase prescription and non-prescription medications for outpatients at reduced cost through the 340B Drug Pricing Program; automatic designation as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The HPSA designation provides eligibility to apply to receive National Health Service Corps (NHSC) personnel and eligibility to be a site where a J-1 Visa physician can serve.

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