Open Door Family Medical Center Garners $4 Million Grant for Cancer Screening Program, Largest Award in New York State


OSSINING, N.Y., Oct. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open Door Family Medical Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center providing affordable, high quality, comprehensive primary medical care to underserved patient populations has earned a series of grant awards in 2018. Leading the 2018 awards was a nearly $3.9 million grant from the New York State Department of Health for a cancer screening program to be conducted jointly with HRHCare Community Health and the Institute for Family Health. The award, payable as $775,000 in each of 5 consecutive years, will allow Open Door and its partners to screen patients in six counties throughout the Hudson Valley region for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.

Low-income patients suffer disproportionately from a lack of access to cancer screening, based primarily on the cost of care. The NYS DOH award to Open Door was the largest in New York State, signaling the confidence that state health officials have based on the organization’s track record.

Lindsay Farrell, President and CEO of the Open Door Family Medical Center, commented, “Our accessible community health center settings offer a vital point of access for cancer screenings. We’re grateful, as this grant from New York State will allow Open Door and our partners to provide cancer screenings to thousands of patients who might not otherwise have access.”

In addition to the NYS Department of Health Cancer Screening grant, Open Door’s pioneering approach to providing “integrated care” for its patients helped secure 2018 grants including:

  • HRSA - Advancing Precision Medicine (APM) Supplemental Funding: $456,000 awarded 9/11/18. APM funding will allow Open Door to facilitate enrollment of health center patients in the "All of Us Research Program" which seeks to collect DNA and health information from underrepresented populations 
  • HRSA - Health Center Quality Improvement grant: $133,896 awarded 9/12/18. One-time Quality Improvement supplemental funding
  • HRSA - Expanding Access to Quality Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services Supplemental Funding: $285,000 awarded 9/19/18. $110,000 for on-going staff expansion and $175,000 in one-time funding for telehealth equipment (for ease of integrated screening) training and education
  • Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grant Program (STOP Act): $47,145 awarded 8/2/18. A project aimed at preventing and reducing underage drinking in Ossining
  • The Frog Rock Foundation: Awarded 6/19/18. Provides funding for Behavioral Health Integration Specialists (BHIS) targeting 0-5-year-olds at Open Door in Port Chester
  • Delta Dental Community Care Foundation: $25,000 awarded 8/9/2018. Supports operating costs for providing dental care to low-income patients
  • The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation: $35,000 awarded 7/12/18. Behavioral Health Integration Specialist salary support

About Open Door Family Medical Center
Open Door Family Medical Center provides health care and wellness programs to individuals and families in need throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York. A pioneer Federally Qualified Health Center, Open Door provides more than 300,000 patient visits annually and expects to serve more than 57,000 individual patients who might not otherwise have access. Open Door offers integrated services and a holistic approach to building healthier communities. Primary medical care, dental care, integrated behavioral health care, clinical nutrition, wellness programs, and chronic disease management are the foundation of its clinical programs. Founded as a free clinic in 1972, Open Door’s mission of building healthier communities through accessible, equitable, culturally competent health care has led to site and service expansions. Today, Open Door operates centers in Brewster, Mamaroneck, Mt. Kisco, Ossining, Port Chester, and Sleepy Hollow, in addition to seven School-Based Health Centers in the Port Chester and Ossining School Districts. Open Door is accredited by the Joint Commission and is recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home. Open Door has won the prestigious national Davies Award from HIMSS, the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society for its advanced use of clinical information systems. Open Door achieves clinical results that consistently surpass national benchmarks for patient outcomes. For additional information, please contact Amy Wolfson, Chief External Relations Officer (914) 502-1416 or online at www.opendoormedical.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Burns Patterson
Hudson PR
(917) 575-9155
burns@hudson-pr.net