SCHUMER, MORELLE ANNOUNCE $3 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO EXPAND HEALTHCARE ACCESSIBILITY
Funding for Trillium Health will allow them to grow their operations and continue improving the well-being of historically underserved communities in our region
Today, Congressman Joe Morelle and Senator Chuck Schumer announced they have helped secure $3 million in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Trillium Health. Granted through HRSA’s Service Area Competition (SAC), the funding will convert Trillium into a fully-fledged Federally Qualified Health Center and provide additional resources to allow them to increase access to healthcare, provide additional services, and improve the well-being of low-income families and historically marginalized communities in the Greater Rochester area.
“I’ve fought for years to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the medical care they need. I’m proud to have secured $3 million in federal funding so Trillium Health can expand accessibility to communities in the Greater Rochester area that have historically faced barriers to care and lacked adequate health coverage,” said Senator Schumer. “With this funding boost, Trillium Health will enhance healthcare access and create more jobs within the community, and I’m grateful for their work in providing top-notch healthcare services to the Greater Rochester area.”
“Healthcare is not a luxury—it’s a basic human right, and it should be available for everyone regardless of their income, background, or zip code,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “This $3 million we helped secure for Trillium Health will allow them to grow their already life-saving services to reach more people and families in traditionally underserved Rochester communities and help ensure everyone gets the care they deserve. I’m grateful to CEO Jason Barnecut-Kearns and the entire Trillium Health team for their continued commitment to uplifting our community, and I look forward to furthering our partnership in the months and years to come.”
“This is an incredible milestone for Trillium Health,” said Jason Barnecut-Kearns, President and CEO of Trillium Health. “As a newly designated Federally Qualified Health Center, Trillium Health will have access to federal funding which will allow us to increase access to equitable and inclusive healthcare and expand the services we provide to underserved communities in Rochester and the Finger Lakes. We are extremely grateful to the elected officials and community partners who supported our application for the $3 million award. This year, as Trillium Health marks its 35th anniversary, we’ll have even more of a reason to celebrate, as we reaffirm our commitment to provide compassionate, high-quality care to everyone in our community – regardless of their background or their ability to pay.”
Specifically, this $3 million award will allow Trillium Health to open a new location on Jefferson Avenue, expand their current site on Monroe Avenue, and increase their service offerings at both their current locations and their Mobile Access Clinic.
Trillium Health was established in 1989 as an HIV/AIDS clinic during the height of the AIDS crisis, and this December, the organization will celebrate its 35th Anniversary. In 2016, Trillium Health was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, and it expanded to provide primary care and supportive services to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. The agency grew from 1,000 patients in 2016 to 14,000 patients in 2024.
Trillium Health’s service area includes 39 zip codes located in Monroe, Ontario and Livingston Counties in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York and includes the Rochester metropolitan area. Of the 671,395 service area residents, 187,319 (27.9%) live at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and represent Trillium Health’s primary target population. The uninsured rate among service area residents is 3.1%, representing 20,813 individuals; however among those with income below 100% of FPG, the rate is 4.8%.
This award comes as a part of Congressman Morelle’s longstanding commitment to expanding high-quality, affordable healthcare in Rochester. For more information about his work in this space—as well as his efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, increase resources and treatment options for those battling cancer, and more—visit his website here.
###
