Institute for Family Health

Until 2007, the Mid-Hudson Family Health Institute owned and operated six family practice centers in Ulster and Dutchess Counties. These centers were the major source of primary and preventive care in New Paltz, Kingston, Ellenville, and Hyde Park. By 2007, the Mid-Hudson network was experiencing mounting financial losses and was on the brink of insolvency. The collapse of the network would create a huge void in area residents’ access to health care. Consequently, Mid-Hudson asked the Institute for Family Health (d/b/a Institute for Urban Family Health at the time) to step in and assume its operations. By January 2007, the Institute had obtained approval from the Federal Bureau of Primary Care and the New York State Department of Health to acquire the Mid-Hudson sites and include them in their Federal scope of service, transforming the centers into FQHCs and operating them on the Institute’s Article 28 license.

The Institute for Family Health is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and availability of family practice services to medically underserved populations. Founded in 1983, the Institute operates a freestanding primary care network that includes 10 community health centers located in the Bronx and Manhattan, and this grant will allow completion of the acquisition of additional centers in the Mid-Hudson region.

As of 2007, the Mid-Hudson Network was losing $100,000 per month and was on the brink of insolvency. After Mid-Hudson asked the Institute for Family Health to assume its operations, the Institute acquired six of Mid-Hudson’s family practice centers in Ulster and Dutchess counties. These centers are the major source of primary and preventive care in New Paltz, Kingston, Ellenville, and Hyde Park. Collectively, the centers provide care to 43,000 patients, who make approximately 165,000 visits per year, and are virtually the only local source of care available to people who receive Medicaid or who have no insurance; 63% of the centers’ patients are publicly insured or uninsured. With NYHealth’s support, the Institute will close on the loan, complete the acquisition, and complete the implementation of the electronic heath record system.