Expanding Sustainable Community Health Centers in New York City

The Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) has authored an updated analysis identifying New York City neighborhoods with the greatest need for expanded access to primary care and the ability to support sustainable growth of federally qualified health centers (FQHC).Building on its Plan for Expanding Sustainable Community Health Centers, published in 2013 with support from the NYS Health Foundation, CHCANYS has partnered with the Office of the Mayor of New York City to release the updated report, which ranks the primary care need and sustainability of 42 United Hospital Fund (UHF) New York City neighborhoods using a quantitative analysis of communities' relative need for additional FQHC capacity and the feasibility of such expansions. Authored with financial support from the Office of the Mayor of New York City, Expanding Sustainable Community Health Centers in New York City informed development of the New York City Caring Neighborhoods initiative, a new program that will significantly increase primary care access in underserved areas across the City's five boroughs. New York City-based FQHCs served 972,000 patients in 2014, and it is anticipated that this number will rise to over 1 million patients in 2015. Current state and federal health reform efforts emphasize the critical role of primary care in achieving improved delivery system outcomes, and increasing the capacity of FQHCs to meet these demands is essential.