Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - construction - schenectady family health services, INC

D/b/a hometown health centers (HHC) has been serving underinsured, uninsured, and insured patients in schenectady county since 1972. The section of the city primarily served by HHC is a designated medically underserved area (MUA 06211) and a federally designated urban renewal community. Current data (pre-covid) shows nearly 70% of households citywide are low and moderate income, with 48% as very low income. More than 80% of hamilton hill neighborhood residents are low-income, 72% are very low income and 65% live below the poverty level. The target population for HHC lives in neighborhoods containing the city's highest percentage of low/moderate income households, very low-income households and persons who live below the poverty level. The only other practice that accepted medicaid patients was ellis hospital, which closed its practice in july 2021, leaving thousands of patients without a dental provider. The dental practice at HHC is currently operating at capacity and patients are waiting, on average, two months to see a dentist and three months to see an oral surgeon. As IT is, these wait times are less than ideal. Currently, HHC employs 4.2 hygienists, 4 full-time dentists, 1 part-time dentist, 1 part-time oral surgeon, and 2 dental residents through new york university langone. The dental expansion in HHC's service area will ensure that underserved children and adults have timely access to high-quality dental care. If this project is not completed, the 20TH congressional district will have thousands of people who are unable to receive affordable and accessible dental services. Funds will be used to renovate an existing building to accommodate 30 exam rooms, two laboratories, and provider offices. The existing dental department at state street would move into the renovated building along with the expanded dental program. Renovation and capital costs for the project include $2.6 million for renovations . Community project funding would be used to offset some of these renovation costs.