With a Focus on Primary Care, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Opens New, Modernized Outpatient Center for Adults and Adolescents
The modern new space features more exam rooms, larger waiting areas, and upgraded equipment to meet community health needs The new primary care center supports the public health system's shift from hospital-centric services to primary and preventive care
Jun 13, 2019
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today opened a new Medical Primary Care Center designed to support the health system’s focus on expanding primary and preventive care to keep communities healthy and out of the hospital. The new 6,500 square feet outpatient center will bring together a diverse team of clinical experts to offer a wide range of internal medicine, women’s health, mental health and adolescent health services together in one space. The new space features 10 additional exam rooms for a total of 30, new, modern furniture in waiting areas, and updated clinical equipment. Last year, the hospital’s primary care practices handled approximate 30, 000 patients. The renovated primary care center will reduce waiting times, increase patient satisfaction and allow clinicians to see an additional 10,000 patients a year or 50 more patients per day.
With funding from the state, NYC Health + Hospitals invested approximately $1 million to cover the cost of the renovations and new equipment. The new space supports the public health system’s broader multi-year redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization that will continue to offer high-quality and accessible health care to the people of New York City. The Medical Primary Care Center is located inside the hospital campus at 80th Street and 41st Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens.
“Enhancing and building our primary care capacity is key to NYC Health + Hospitals’ effort to reducing emergency room utilization and building long lasting, healthy relationships with our patients,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “This new Medical Primary Care Center will make our patients feel welcome and at home with their physicians. The clinic represents the future of primary care at NYC Health + Hospitals.”
“Our community will benefit greatly from the merging of various primary care clinics into a single space, allowing for more convenient access to comprehensive medical services in an environment that is both inviting and patient-friendly,” said Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals and Elmhurst CEO Israel Rocha. “Additionally, the new clinic space will allow our primary care team to make more efficient use of exam rooms, offices, and support areas.”
“This redesign will allow our clinical staff to work efficiently to provide coordinated care in a team-based model, putting the patient at the center of the visit and coordinating all services around them,” said Dr. Rand David, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Chief Medical Officer for Ambulatory Care. “The new space allows our high-demand, adult primary care site to move into a more modernized facility so as to streamline the clinic experience and reduce wait times.”
“Good health requires access to primary care,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “H+H is a leader in providing affordable, accessible, culturally competent care and with this new clinic, will increase patient access, expand the range of services, and serve the community well.”
“This new Medical Primary Center is welcome news for the communities of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights,” said NYC Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst). “I am pleased by the Hospital’s emphasis on preventative care that addresses health issues before they become severe enough to warrant hospitalization of a patient. This reduces emergency room waiting times and helps ensure more efficient care for all. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst stands out as a leader in our borough’s medical community, and I will continue to support it in every way possible.”
“With the opening of its new outpatient center for adults and adolescents, it’s obvious that Elmhurst Hospital continues to raise the bar for patient care. The hospital’s continuous effort to modernize its facilities and increase its capabilities to better serve our community makes me proud to have been born there, proud to have worked there and proud to now represent it in the City Council,” said Council Member Francisco Moya.
In addition to physician services, patients will receive care from a multi-interdisciplinary team of providers that includes registered nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, and nutritionists. Clinic meeting rooms have also been expanded for collaborative group teaching and patient education for topics such as mental health, diabetes, and hypertension. Patients will also be able to receive pap smears and other routine exams at the facility.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Primary care services offered:
- Internal medicine
- Women’s health
- Depression screening and other mental health services
- Substance use disorder support
- Adolescent Health
- Pediatrics
- Optometry
- Radiology
- Confidential GYN and Family Planning
- Vaccinations and Infection Control
- Nutrition counseling
For more information on NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s primary care services or to schedule an appointment, please call 718 334-3150.