NYC Health + Hospitals Cuts the Ribbon on a Revitalized Health Center in Jackson Heights, Queens
Expanding Community-Based Primary Care Is a Top Priority for the Nation's Largest Public Health System
Sep 07, 2017
NYC Health + Hospitals held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to announce the opening of a recently renovated health center in Jackson Heights, featuring expanded services. Funded with $1.8 million through Mayor de Blasio’s Caring Neighborhoods initiative, the facility upgrade reflects NYC Health + Hospitals’ commitment to community-based ambulatory care, one of the chief strategies of the health system’s transformation agenda.
Formerly a pediatrics-only practice, the NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health site in Jackson Heights will now provide a range of services, including women’s health, behavioral health, adult primary care, and family medicine, as well as pediatrics.
Located at 34-33 Junction Boulevard in Queens, the health center is expected to grow quickly to serve 10,000 patients annually. The new layout includes 13 upgraded exam rooms, new medical equipment and furniture, and an uplifting décor to create a welcoming environment for patients, as well as staff.
“Making ambulatory care more pleasant and convenient for the whole family is important to encourage New Yorkers to seek the preventive and chronic care services they need,” said Stanley Brezenoff, interim president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “The Mayor’s support through the Caring Neighborhoods Initiative has been an effective catalyst for this expansion of health care services in Jackson Heights.”
“This is a great day for the people of Jackson Heights and brings us one step closer to ensure all people can receive the medical care they need right where they live,” said Deputy Mayor Herminia Palacio. “The de Blasio administration is proud to bring women’s health, behavioral health, adult primary care, and more to this important neighborhood clinic. We are committed to the idea that all New Yorkers deserve the same access to quality health care.”
“We know that health begins in the community. That is why primary care facilities like NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health are so essential,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “Primary care builds a bridge between health care services and communities to address the health of the whole person. This health center will become a home base—one where New Yorkers can seek care and receive care that will keep them and their families healthy.”
“Providing high-quality health care service is vital for every community,” said State Senator Jose Peralta. “This is why I applaud NYC Health + Hospitals’ initiative to renovate its health center in Jackson Heights. With this renovation, the center was able to expand and improve the health services it offers, ambulatory care that now includes women’s health and adult primary care. The renovated facility, part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Caring Neighborhoods Initiative, will allow New Yorkers to seek the health care services they need in a more comfortable way.”
“The expansion of the neighborhood health center in my district will greatly benefit my constituents,” said Assemblyman Michael DenDekker. “The added services will help New Yorkers get the care they deserve.”
“The renovation of the NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health site is a welcome addition to our Jackson Heights community, and I congratulate them on their grand opening,” said Assemblymember Francisco P. Moya. “With significantly more exam rooms and equipment, the health center will provide thousands of Jackson Heights families with high-quality services to keep them in good health and good spirits. I’m proud to have worked with this administration in delivering accessible and affordable health care through the Caring Neighborhoods initiative, and applaud NYC Health + Hospitals for their exceptional neighborhood-based services.”
“This expanded facility will provide crucial and culturally competent primary care services to the medically underserved residents of the Jackson Heights community,” said Queens Borough President Melinda Katz. “By empowering families to monitor physical and mental health more consistently, this clinic will not only improve the well-being of its patients, but will also decrease congestion at our overburdened hospitals.”
“We welcome the renovation and expansion of this health center, a key place where our community can access much needed primary health care services,” said New York City Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. “Providing affordable health care to our underserved residents is crucial in our efforts to reduce health disparities among New Yorkers. I want to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his commitment moving forward his Caring Neighborhoods initiative and congratulate NYC Health + Hospitals for the completion of this project.”
Launched in October 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Caring Neighborhoods initiative is a program to significantly increase primary care access for thousands of residents in underserved neighborhoods across New York City. Spearheaded by NYC Health + Hospitals and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Caring Neighborhoods builds primary care capacity in neighborhoods where over a million New Yorkers have faced limited options for convenient and affordable health care services.
The refurbished Gotham Health Center will provide services that reflect the needs of the surrounding community. The site will employ a full-time nutritionist and a bilingual social worker to support behavioral health services.
The health center will begin seeing patients later this month. It will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The center’s patients will also have 24-hour phone access to clinical advice. To make an appointment, patients can call 718-334-6150.