Transaction Description:
FISCAL YEAR 2025 EXPANDED HOURS. - APPLICANT: REFUAH HEALTH CENTER, INC. (H80CS00281) ADDRESS: 728 N. MAIN STREET, SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK 10977 PROJECT DIRECTOR: CHANIE STERNBERG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PHONE: 845.354.9300 X. 1205 (VOICE), 845-354-9448 (FAX) EMAIL: CSTERNBERG@REFUAHHEALTH.ORG FUNDING REQUESTED: $1,000,000 ($500,000 PER YEAR), AL/CFDS #: 93.224 PROJECT TITLE: EXPANDING ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES IN ROCKLAND AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES REFUAH HEALTH CENTER, INC. (REFUAH) SEEKS $500,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 EXPANDED HOURS FUNDING (HRSA-25-084) TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOURS PATIENT CARE IS PROVIDED AT FOUR OF THE CENTER'S CURRENT SITES, INCLUDING THREE SITES IN ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY, AND ONE SERVICE SITE IN RURAL SULLIVAN COUNTY. THIS FUNDING WILL ENABLE REFUAH TO EXPAND ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN ROCKLAND COUNTY AND RURAL SULLIVAN COUNTY IN NEW YORK’S LOWER HUDSON VALLEY. THE SITES FOR EXPANDED HOURS WILL INCLUDE REFUAH'S MAIN SITE (728 N. MAIN ST. SPRING VALLEY, NY), HILLCREST SITE (205 AIRPORT EXECUTIVE PARK NANUET, NY 10954), TWIN SITE (5 TWIN AVE SPRING VALLEY, NY 10977), AND SOUTH FALLSBURG SITE (36 LAUREL AVE. SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY 12779). REFUAH HAS PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS SINCE 1992 AND BECAME A SECTION 330(E) HEALTH CENTER PROGRAM GRANTEE IN 2002. CURRENTLY, REFUAH OPERATES FOUR PERMANENT SITES IN ROCKLAND, TWO PERMANENT SITES IN SULLIVAN COUNTY, AND A FLEET OF SEVEN MOBILE MEDICAL UNITS. REFUAH SERVES OVER 80,000 PATIENTS ANNUALLY, OFFERING PRIMARY CARE, DENTAL, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND A BROAD RANGE OF SPECIALTY MEDICAL SERVICES. REFUAH’S TARGET POPULATION INCLUDES LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES LIVING AT OR BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES (FPG) AND THE UN/UNDERINSURED IN ROCKLAND AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES. REFUAH SERVES A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING HISPANIC AND HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS AND ULTRAORTHODOX JEWS. MANY OF TH ESE FAMILIES FACE HEALTH EQUITY CHALLENGES AND REQUIRE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE CARE. THE PROPOSED SERVICE AREA REPORTS DISMAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AND LACK OF ACCESS. ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (NYDOH) AND U.S. CENSUS DATA, ROCKLAND AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES EXPERIENCE HIGHER RATES OF CHRONIC DISEASES SUCH AS DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, COMPARED TO STATE AVERAGES. BOTH COUNTIES ARE DESIGNATED AS MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS (MUA) AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS. LOCAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENTS IDENTIFY ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CARE AS TOP HEALTH PRIORITIES. WITH PROJECT FUNDING, REFUAH WILL EXPAND HOURS AT FOUR SERVICE SITES, ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL NEED FOR ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE. THE CENTER HAS BEEN PROVIDING EXPANDED HOURS AT ITS FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN SPRING VALLEY, NY, FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AT THIS SITE, REFUAH OFFERS OVER 100 HOURS OF PATIENT CARE PER WEEK, INCLUDING EXPANDED HOURS THROUGH ITS URGENT CARE AND WOMEN'S HEALTH URGENT CARE. THIS ALLOWS THE TARGET POPULATION, WHICH INCLUDES THE WORKING POOR, TO ACCESS CARE OUTSIDE OF BUSINESS HOURS. IT INCREASES ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE AND KEEPS PATIENTS OUT OF THE ER. IT ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO SEEK URGENT CARE AT THEIR TRUSTED MEDICAL HOME TO ENSURE CONTINUITY AND QUALITY. THE IMPACT OF THESE EXPANDED HOURS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT, IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES BY REDUCING EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, INCREASING EARLY DETECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS, AND PROVIDING TIMELY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. BY ADDRESSING THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF THESE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, REFUAH AIMS TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ITS PATIENTS.
