Sunset Park Health Council, Inc. (Lutheran Family Health Services)

Grant Status

In Progress

Project Title

Clinical Acquisition of New York Methodist Hospital Outpatient Clinic

Award Amount

$300,000

Location

Brooklyn

Web Site

http://www.lutheranmedicalcenter.com/OurFacilities/LutheranFamilyHealthCenters/SunsetParkCouncil/

Date Awarded

July 7, 2010

Red Hook is a predominantly poor, underserved area. The Red Hook Houses are located adjacent to the South Brooklyn Health Center (SBHC), which has served the neighborhood as an ambulatory care affiliate of New York Methodist Hospital since 1997. Financial losses at SBHC have forced New York Methodist to initiate closure of the site as part of its ongoing rightsizing initiative. This project will allow Lutheran Family Health Centers (LFHC) to acquire and operate the SBHC site.

In addition to preserving care, LFHC will expand the number of patients served and the spectrum of services in the community. It is projected that the clinic will serve approximately 6,250 patients in 20,280 annual visits, representing a 10% improvement over SBHC volume in year one with subsequent increases in growth over the coming years. Further, LFHC will add dental and mental health services to supplement the provision of primary and preventive care.

LFHC is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive networks of federally qualified health centers. Federally qualified health center status grants LFHC a set of assets and supports that uniquely enable the organization to serve underserved communities. Benefits include annual Federal grant support, enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates, and medical malpractice relief. The extension of federally qualified health center status to the SBHC clinic will support long-term sustainability by providing access to higher reimbursement rates.