CVPH and Hudson Headwaters Celebrate Plattsburgh’s Newest Family Health Center
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (03/26/2018) – Working together, University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) and Hudson Headwaters Health Network (Hudson Headwaters) will establish a federally qualified health center to help increase access to primary care for North Country residents.
Today, representatives from both organizations took part in a ground breaking ceremony on the site of the new facility located at the CVPH Health Plaza, 89 Plaza Blvd. When complete, the 19,600 square foot building will provide ample space for up to seven primary care providers to provide high–quality care to patients in our community. Construction is expected to take a year to complete.
The project is funded by a $3.6 million matching grant from the New York State Capital Restructuring Financing Program. CVPH will own the building and Hudson Headwaters will operate in the space as Plattsburgh Family Health. A federally qualified health center (FQHC) is a non-profit, community-based health care provider that offers primary care services in underserved areas. FQHCs must meet a stringent set of requirements, including operating under a governing board that includes patients.
“We are pleased to partner with CVPH to deliver high-quality primary care services to the residents of Plattsburgh,” said Tucker Slingerland, M.D., CEO of Hudson Headwaters. “Our mission to provide all patients, regardless of income or insurance situation, with the best possible health care is made possible in large part because of partnerships with organizations like CVPH. We are excited to expand on our strong relationship with CVPH and look forward to continued success in the years to come.”
Stephens Mundy, president and CEO of CVPH and Alice Hyde Medical Center said the new Family Health Center is an important step to improving access to primary care in the community. “It will complement the exceptional services already offered by our Family Medicine Center on Margaret Street and our Adult Medicine office,” he added.
Access to primary care in the North Country has been a critical concern for many years. Current trends in health care increasingly rely on primary care providers for prevention, wellness initiatives and care coordination. This coupled with an aging population means more physicians are needed. The partnership between CVPH and Hudson Headwaters is natural as both strive to increase access to primary care, the foundation for a healthy community.
This is not the first cooperative endeavor between the two organizations. In Champlain, CVPH opened a new Diagnostic Center located inside the new Hudson Headwaters’ Champlain Family Health building on Route 11 on March 1, 2018. Two Family Medicine Residents from the CVPH Family Medicine Residency will see patients in the Champlain facility in another partnership between the two organizations.
The CVPH Family Medicine Residency was developed to improve access to primary care in the North Country. Studies show that 60% of physicians opt to practice medicine within 100 miles of where they completed their residency. “We have struggled in this community for many years with access to primary care. There are just not enough primary care providers to meet our needs. The residency will help to address this pending crisis,” explained Mundy.
He added that the partnership between CVPH and Hudson Headwaters is serving the community well. “We share a commitment to working together for the sake of the communities we serve.”