Lowey Announces More Than $1 Million Allocated For Low-Income Health Care

NYACK, N.Y. -- U.S. Rep. Nita M. Lowey announced on Thursday that more than $1 million in federal money will go to expand primary health care services in Rockland County.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Rockland/Westchester) announced on Thursday that more than $1 million in federal money will go to a Peekskill-based health-care company for expanded services for about 3,000 low-income patients in Nyack.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Jon Craig

10/01/2015 3:30 p.m.

Lowey, a Democrat who represents Westchester and Rockland counties, said the $1,095,355 grant enables Peekskill-based Hudson River HealthCare (HRHC) to renovate a recently-acquired site in Nyack to serve 3,000 low-income patients while creating 14 new, full-time jobs.

“Access to essential health care services for all residents reinforces the well-being of entire communities,” Lowey said in a press statement. “I’m proud that this federal investment will have immense local benefit."

The new community health center will be located near Nyack Hospital and Main Street. Services will include comprehensive primary, preventive and behavioral health care. The center is expected to handle many more unscheduled walk-ins patients from Nyack and surrounding communities.

Lowey said a "needs assessment" of an eight-county region identified Nyack as a hotspot for health issues and service needs -- with disproportionally high rates of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancers, alcohol abuse, suicide and many residents without a primary health-care provider.

Anne Kauffman Nolon, president and CEO of HRHC, said, “This also strengthens the partnerships with our sister health center, Refuah, and Nyack Hospital in delivery system reform.”

Last March, Lowey helped secure an additional $7.2 billion in funding for Community Health Centers. Since joining the House subcommittee that funds medical research, Lowey fought to nearly triple federal money for the National Institutes of Health.

Lowey recently announced:

-- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision to approve a commercial manufacturing license for Protein Sciences’ Pearl River facility to produce Flublok influenza vaccine. To increase the production of Flublok, Pearl River's 30-employee Protein Sciences facility plans to hire about 70 new employees.

-- A $38 million agreement between Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the Eastview section of the Town of Greenburgh and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop, test and manufacture a therapy for the treatment of Ebola virus infection. Lowey has fought to increase federal investments in BARDA, enabling the development of life-saving treatments.

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