In many Finger Lakes communities, the nearest doctor’s office isn’t a private practice or a large hospital. It’s a Community Health Center. For thousands of families across our region, these centers are the front door to health care, offering checkups, prenatal care, mental health services, and treatment for chronic illnesses close to home. These services not only improve health outcomes, but they also help keep people out of emergency rooms for non-emergency needs.

New York’s Community Health Centers are essential, but they are still funded through a Medicaid payment system that hasn’t been updated since 1999. With reimbursement stuck in the past and the expense of delivering care increasing dramatically, and new coverage losses on the horizon, health centers are nearing a breaking point.

Across New York State, Community Health Centers (CHCs) provide high-quality primary and preventive care to people of all ages, regardless of income, insurance status, or ability to pay. Here in the Finger Lakes, CHCs are a lifeline for rural towns and small cities alike, especially for residents who may not have reliable transportation or access........

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