The Primary Care Campaign
The Primary Care Coalition
Primary Care Facts and Fiqures
The Primary Care Media Coverage
Primary Care Grass Roots Action Network


What Elected Officials and Policy Makers
are Saying About Primary Care
photo of doctor checking patient's eyes
Who We Are

 

The Primary Care Coalition is spearheaded by five New York State based health care organizations, all of which recognize the importance of putting primary and preventive care on top of the state's health care agenda--the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS), the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC), the New York State Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System, the New York Chapter, American College of Physicians (NYACP) and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP). CHCANYS, PCDC and AHEC formed the coalition in April, 2006. NYACP joined the partnership in December, 2006 and NYSAFP joined in February, 2007. All five Coalition Partners are committed to advancing the state's primary care system.

CHCANYS

 PCDC AHEC NYACP NYSAFP

COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK STATE

The year was 1971 and the community health care movement was just beginning. In New York, a group of dedicated community health activists created what was then innovation in health care advocacy— the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS).

Established to give a voice to the state’s network of community health centers as leading providers of primary care, CHCANYS is now seen as one of the premiere primary care associations in the country. CHCANYS not only works to increase access for those who would otherwise go without care through advocacy and education but also creates major new programs and initiatives that showcase community health centers as centers of excellence.

CHCANYS defines new directions in primary care delivery at the more than 50 community health care centers with over 425 sites throughout the state. From clinical excellence to health information technology, from emergency preparedness to eliminating health care disparities, CHCANYS’ goal is to provide community health centers with the resources needed to provide high quality, community-based primary care to anyone in need regardless of their ability to pay. CHCANYS’ members comprise the primary care network that serves the neediest communities in New York. They consistently strive to overcome the most pressing public health problems underserved communities face.

By defining new directions in community-based health care delivery, CHCANYS is creating change within one of the hardest systems to change—health care.

www.chcanys.org

PRIMARY CARE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
The Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) is propelled by a clear and powerful vision: excellent health care in every neighborhood. PCDC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to expanding access to timely, effective primary and preventive care by providing capital and performance improvement programs to primary care providers in underserved communities.

Since 1993, PCDC has invested in 58 capital projects, valued at $172 million, which have developed approximately 490,000 feet of previously dilapidated or vacant space. The facilities PCDC invests in provide care for some 380,000 low-income New Yorkers and 1,800 permanent jobs in their communities. PCDC is working with another nine projects, valued at over $22 million, which are in development across the state. PCDC also has assisted over 230 primary care center teams at over 50 sites to implement changes that revolutionize how centers organize and deliver healthcare—reducing wait times and other barriers to care; increasing productivity, revenue, and patient and staff satisfaction; and providing patient-focused care.

In the past year, PCDC:

  • Expanded its capital programs throughout New York State
  • Improved primary care emergency preparedness throughout New York City
  • Reduced the cycle times of a patient visit from nearly two hours to under an hour at 70 adult health clinics
  • Launched a primary care Health Information Technology program area

www.pcdcny.org

NEW YORK STATE AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (AHEC) SYSTEM
Connecting students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.
New York State suffers from both a drastic shortage and a serious lack of diversity in its health care workforce. The New York State Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System is a workforce development initiative established in 1998 to find solutions to these problems. Long long-range goals are to cultivate a workforce that more closely matches the state’s population in diversity, to assure that each community has enough practitioners in the right categories, particularly primary care, and ultimately to improve access to quality health care for everyone. Through nine AHECs based in communities across the state (Buffalo, Bronx, Brooklyn, Canton, Cortland, Glens Falls, Highland, New York, and Warsaw), the New York State AHEC System works with health care institutions, practicing professionals and educators at all levels to promote careers in health care, especially with underserved populations.

Strategies include:

  • developing opportunities for future health professionals to receive their clinical training in underserved areas, and recruiting faculty committed to working with them;
  • encouraging young people, especially those from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue health careers; and
  • providing continuing education and professional support to health practitioners, developing career ladders that enable workers to advance, and promoting programs for adults re-entering the workforce.

Mission
Enhance the quality of and access to health care, improve health care outcomes and address the health workforce needs of medically underserved communities and populations by establishing partnerships between institutions that train health professionals and the communities that need them most.

Connecting students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.

Connecting students to careers
 It is hard to imagine working in a field without any knowledge or role models. One of AHEC’s strategies is to guide students into an education “pipeline,” exposing them to the rewards of health care careers as early as possible. This not only encourages interest in health care, it also helps to assure that students take the math and science courses required for acceptance into college or training programs.

AHEC efforts also target adults who are seeking a new career, whose jobs have been eliminated, or who need new skills to keep pace with advancing technologies. Programs for retraining – plus assistance to overcome obstacles such as child care or transportation – direct people with good work skills into rewarding new careers in health care.

Connecting professionals to communities
Health care workers often return to practice where they were trained, and students learn from experience that it’s rewarding to work in underserved areas. That is why AHEC connects young people, students and practicing professionals to training opportunities with minority and disadvantaged populations, in rural areas and inner city neighborhoods.

Connecting communities to better health
Because AHECs emphasize community partnerships, AHEC training programs reflect each area’s unique needs and priorities. In rural settings, training focuses on overcoming distance, or supporting science and math exposure in smaller schools. In lower-income urban areas, training focuses on basic health and preventive care, as well as educating students about disparities so they can better understand the community. Ultimately, New York State AHEC System efforts will help achieve a more balanced distribution of health care resources and professionals – and thus better health – throughout the state.

The New York State AHEC System is part of a national AHEC network with centers in almost every state and the District of Columbia. The New York State AHEC System is funded through the federal Department of Health and Human Services (Bureau of Health Professions), New York State’s Health Care Reform Act of 2000, and local community support.

www.ahec.buffalo.edu/about

THE NEW YORK CHAPTER of the AMERICAN COLLEGE of PHYSICIANS
The New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP) is the state’s largest medical specialty organization. NYACP represents 11,000 physicians practicing general and specialty internal medicine. The Chapter maintains a special focus on improving access and enhancing quality of care, promoting public health and patient safety, providing continuing medical education and promoting the use of evidence based practice guidelines.
The mission of the NYACP is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine. We share a vision with the American College of Physicians to uphold the best traditions and create opportunities for excellence in internal medicine.
The goals of the Chapter are:

  • To establish and promote the highest clinical standards and ethical ideals;
  • To be the foremost comprehensive education and information resource for all internists;
  • To advocate responsible positions on individual health and on public policy relating to health care for the benefit of the public, our patients, the medical profession and our members;
  • To serve the professional needs of the membership, support healthy lives and improve the practice environment for physicians, and advance internal medicine as a career;
  • To promote and conduct research to enhance the quality of practice, the education and continuing education of internists, and the attractiveness of internal medicine to physicians and the public;
  • To recognize excellence and distinguished contributions to internal medicine; and
  • To unify the many voices of internal medicine and its subspecialties for the benefit of our patients, our members, and our profession.

Working with medical students, residency training programs, Departments of Medicine and individual members in our 5 regions and 16 districts across New York State, the NYACP provides educational opportunities highlighting the latest clinical advances in medicine, practice management improvement and public policy initiatives that promote increased access to care.

The NYACP supports structural system changes to assure every patient has access to a health care delivery system which promotes affordable, high quality and efficient care.

www.nyacp.org

THE NEW YORK STATE ACADEMY of FAMILY PHYSICIANS

The New York State Academy of Family Physicians was founded in 1948 and represents more than 4,300 family physicians and medical students throughout New York State. The Academy was the first medical society to require its members to maintain a level of continuing professional education - Academy members must have 150 hours of continuing medical education every three years.

The Academy provides education, advocacy and information for members. Its public policy agenda has long included support for universal health care and patient choice in accessing health care services and providers. Family Physicians possess unique attitudes, skills, and knowledge which qualify them to provide continuing and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance and preventive services to each member of the family regardless of sex, age or type of problem, be it biological, behavioral, or social. These specialists, because of their background and interactions with the family, are best qualified to serve as each patient's advocate in all health-related matters, including the appropriate use of consultants, health services, and community resources.

The Academy produces educational conferences for family physicians each winter and fall to update members on current developments in health care and clinical practice.

The Academy operates the nationally acclaimed Tar Wars program to educate 5th grade students about the dangers of using tobacco.

The Academy is located at 260 Osborne Road, Loudonville 12211 and has a website at www.nysafp.org.