Help for primary care | Health

It's no surprise that there's a shortage of primary care physicians in our region and the need is going to grow even more once the provisions in the health care law go into effect. But one private health foundation is offering help to local clinics in the form of grant money.

The New York State Health Foundation estimates more than a million New Yorkers will gain health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

They are going to want to see a primary doctor but the Finger Lakes region is one of four areas across the state the foundation says has historically been under served and under funded. They are hoping to change that by offering a total of a one-million in grant money.

“We actually began planning from the day it was released.” Dr. Bridgette Wiefling is preparing for an influx of patients once the provisions of the Affordable Care Act goes into effect.

Wiefling is the CEO of the Anthony Jordan Health Center -- a federally qualified health center. That means it has a community-led, patient-based governing board. “Being a federally qualified health center, we're certainly not in the business of making money.”

So Wiefling says she's going to apply for a new grant that the New York State Health Foundatio is offering to federally qualified health centers in our area. “We will be looking at developing a business model for some of the expansions we already planned and certainly using these funds to makes sure we do it the best way we can.”

NYS Health Foundation Senior VP David Sandman said, “We know there's going to be increased demand for their services. From our prior conversations with them, they've almost all expressed that they're willing and eager to grow, but they need help to do so.”

The New York State Health Foundation anticipates awarding 10 grants of up to $100,000 each to the eligible health centers.

So what does this mean for the patients? Sandman said, “Once we put an insurance card in their wallet or in their purse, we want to make sure that there's a place they can go to and get in without a long waiting list.”

Wiefling said, “The idea is that they might not even notice anything, other than we'll have more access -- so it'll be easier for them to get appointments, more places they can get appointments at.”

It's not just federal quality health centers like Anthony Jordan that are eligible. Easter Seals, which provides primary care for adults with disabilities, is also hoping to apply for the grant.

Their doctor told News 10NBC she hopes the agency can use the money to help recruit more doctors.

The eligible agencies have until the end of the month to apply and they should hear if they've been awarded the money early next year.