Politics & Government
East Hampton Health Clinic to Move to Southampton
East Hampton and Southampton county health clinics will both be moved to Southampton Hospital annex.
A money-saving plan put forth by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone that is also aimed at improving health care on the South Fork calls for consolidating the county-operated family health centers in Southampton and East Hampton into one federally qualified health center in Southampton Village.
Federally qualified health centers are Medicare “safety net” providers designed to enhance primary care in underserved communities.
The Suffolk County Health Center at East Hampton and the Kraus Family Health Center at Southampton are currently operated by the county, but under the proposal they will both be moved under the roof of the Southampton Hospital annex and operated in partnership between Suffolk County, Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook University and Hudson River HealthCare.
The county expects the move will save taxpayers $3.8 million over five years and the new center will offer improved health services.
In 2012, the county similarly converted the Elsie Owens Health Center at Coram into a federally qualified health center operated by Hudson River Health Care, saving taxpayers $1.7 million, according to Bellone’s office.
The Southampton Hospital annex, located in an office park at the end of Meeting House Lane, will undergo a renovation to accommodate the new use and meet federally qualified health center standards. The county will lay out funds for the conversion but will be 100 percent reimbursed through a state grant awarded back in 2008 and Southampton Hospital has committed $700,000 toward the renovation through a state Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law grant, according to Bellone’s office.
"This represents a very unique opportunity to bring several partners together to make a major improvement in availability of primary care services and to create a new teaching location to train future physicians for our East End communities," Southampton Hospital President and CEO Robert Chaloner said.
Bellone said the consolidated clinic will be open for more hours and will include dental and mental health services that are not available at the existing health centers — all while saving money.
County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, of Montauk, echoed Bellone’s sentiment. “This new clinic will provide substantially enhanced services to patients at a lower cost to Suffolk County taxpayers,” Schneiderman said.
The County Legislature is expected to vote Tuesday on moving $2.2 million in capital funds to make them available for this project.
