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Rescuing Health Care in the Adirondacks: Help is on the way
June 2, 2009
Innovative Primary Health Care Project Discussed at Albany Forum
The Adirondack North Country is a perfect area for an innovative health care project that could help direct the future of health care delivery across the country.
That’s what one of the panelists told a roomful of state lawmakers, insurance carriers and physicians this morning in Albany. They were gathered for an update of the Adirondack Regional Medical Home Demonstration Project, which has been designed to improve the coordination of health care services in the Adirondack Region, where primary care physicians are in short supply.
“North Country counties have seen first-hand the need for better access to primary health care,” said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC). “This project could not have gotten off the ground without the tireless support of Senator Elizabeth Little and Assembly members Teresa Sayward and Jan Dupree. NYSAC and the county supervisors in the Adirondack Park Region are grateful for their public service to ensure that access to health care in this region continues.”
Senator Little and Assemblymembers Sayward and Dupree joined Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Neil Breslin and Assembly Insurance Committee Chairman Joseph Morelle in welcoming the panel to the Legislative Office Building across the street from the State Capitol.
“We are at a distinct disadvantage when recruiting doctors to move their families and open up practices in our communities. We have difficulty competing in terms of pay and technology,” said Senator Little. “This innovative project will help us be more competitive and provide an attractive environment that is breaking new ground in terms of health care delivery.”
The pilot project is a collaboration between area hospitals, primary care clinicians, health insurance companies and the New York State Health Department. The aim is simple: to better organize and deliver primary care services while addressing the value and cost of health care services.
“We are pleased to have this project in our communities, and we hope it attracts and retains the primary care physicians we need to keep our families healthy,” said Assemblywoman Dupree.
The partnership could reach over 250,000 patients and involve almost 100 physicians and at least seven (7) insurers, including the state. This innovative program may, over time, help to retain and recruit physicians to the area by improving their financial stability. If successful, the model could be replicated in other parts of the state and the country.
“This project will stabilize the health care system in the North Country and that is a good thing for our residents, businesses and the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit each year,” said Assemblywoman Sayward.
The Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot was included in the 2009-10 State Budget, and is the result of years of work by a number of individuals and organizations, including Dr. John Rugge of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network and Stephen Acquario of NYSAC.
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
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