Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Jack Deacy (212) 788 2969
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined Mayoral Health Advisor Maria Mitchell and officials of the Community Health Project and the Primary Care Development Corporation in breaking ground for a new primary care facility that will become the nation's largest gay and lesbian health center. The facility, located on West 18th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, will provide 63,000 primary care visits annually to the citywide gay and lesbian community and the Chelsea and West Village communities.
"I pleased to be able to be here today to celebrate the start of construction of the Community Health Project's gay and lesbian health facility," Mayor Giuliani said. "For 13 years the Community Health Project has provided vital programs, care and assistance to thousands of gay and lesbian New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay. This new center will provide increased access to quality health care, offer it in a state of the art health facility, and help us to bring primary care into our medically underserved neighborhoods."
The new six- story, 27,000 square-foot-facility will feature more than 30 medical examination rooms, six dental operatories, mental health counseling and group therapy rooms, a large conference room and a health education resource room.
A wide array or programs will be available in the new center, including an HIV/AIDS Primary Care Clinic, and HIV/AIDS Assessment and Early Intervention program, a Health Outreach Program to teenagers, a general medical clinic, case management and mental health services and a health education and outreach program.
The center was made possible by a $7.3 million low-interest bond, through the New York City Primary Care Development Corporation and the New York State Dormitory Authority. The Community Health Project has also undertaken a private $3.5 million fundraising campaign.The project costs in excess of $10 million.
The Primary Care Development Corporation was formed in 1993 as a public/private partnership to expand primary care services in New York's medically underserved communities.Through PCDC, the City of New York has made available capital financing for 30 to 50 new or expanded primary care centers within the City's five boroughs.