Seven counties in New York's 23rd Congressional District are expected to benefit from a $76.2 million state initiative aimed at strengthening health care services and expanding access in rural communities, U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy announced Thursday.
The funding is part of New York's Rural Community Health Integration Initiative, which is designed to improve coordination among rural hospitals, health centers and community providers while broadening access to health and social services.
The district's identified focus areas are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Tioga counties. Together, they form a footprint across Western New York and the Southern Tier.
New York identified 47 of its 62 counties as rural for the program application. The state used criteria established by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to determine which counties qualify.
About $22.7 million of the investment is allocated for planning awards, while approximately $53.5 million is set aside for implementation awards. The announcement also includes an additional $1 million intended to increase the number of School-Based Health Centers.
The state initiative falls under the broader Rural Health Transformation Program, which was established to give states resources to strengthen rural health systems and improve the availability and quality of care. The New York effort is expected to support partnerships across hospitals, health centers and community organizations rather than directing the entire investment to a single provider or county.
Langworthy said rural communities face distinct challenges that require a different approach to health care access and quality. He said the investment is intended to reduce barriers, improve coordination among providers and strengthen the system serving residents outside urban and suburban areas.
The congressman said the seven NY-23 counties should directly benefit as the state moves from planning into implementation. The announcement did not identify individual provider awards, project sites or a timetable for opening additional School-Based Health Centers.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published additional information about the investment and the larger rural health program. State and local health organizations are expected to use the planning and implementation awards to develop the partnerships and service changes contemplated by the initiative.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.