Community Corner

Process Begins on Opening New Health Center at Southampton Hospital

New healthcare center could be a model for private-public partnership, government officials say.

Officials and community leaders helped celebrate the new health center that will open within the year in Southampton at a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. 

The Kraus Family Health Center of the Hamptons at Southampton Hospital will offer primary and preventative medical and dental services for 3,500 residents on the East End, while consolidating the Suffolk County Health Center at East Hampton and the Kraus Family Health Center at Southampton, both operated by county, into onefederally qualified health center.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, who was on hand for the celebration, said it is a "unique public and private partnership" that will offer better, higher quality healthcare in the area. 

"People's lives will be better. People will be healthier," he said.

Dr. James L. Tomarken, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Health Services, said that this is a new way to serve lower economic communities. "Historically, the county has been serving the underserved for 40 years," he said, adding it has taken on a new form. "The people of the Hamptons should rest assured that higher quality affordable healthcare is here to stay," he said. 

Hudson River Health Care, a not-for-profit, federally qualified health care system that offers a range of medical services at its facilities throughout New York partnered with the county, and Southampton and Stony Brook University hospitals on the project at the the Southampton Hospital annex on Meeting House Lane.

Renovations will meet federally qualified health center standards to offer a family practice, women's health services, dental services, and behavioral services all under one roof. 

The county will lay out funds for the conversion, but will be 100 percent reimbursed through a state grant awarded back in 2008. Southampton Hospital has committed $700,000 toward the renovation through a state Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law grant.

The HRHCare Kraus Family Health Center is expected to open in early 2014.

State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., I-Sag Harbor, credited the leadership of the county executive and Legis. Jay Schneiderman, I-Montauk, with helping to secure the deal. "I think it's going to be a model," Thiele said. 

Schneiderman said that the new healthcare center will offer sliding scale fees as opposed to a flat fee to see the doctor. "We don't want to discourage people from coming to our clinics," he said. 

The center will also provide transportation to and from East Hampton to ensue residents further east can get to the center.


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