Reflecting a new trend in health care, patients will now be able to get both their medical and mental health needs all under one roof.
White Plains Hospital’s family of healthcare facilities got a new addition last week, with the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Family Health Center and St. Vincent’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Services’ new home at 79 East Post Road. The newly remodeled building is just a block from the current FHC location adjacent to the Emergency Department.
The sophisticated facility will bridge current services such as annual screenings, immunizations, infant and pediatric care and disease management at the Family Health Center, with the mental health, substance abuse and counseling services of St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester, a division of St. Joseph’s Medical Center -- all under one roof.
This exciting new partnership was celebrated by several hospital officials, including Vice Chairman of the Hospital Board Susan Yubas, and elected officials White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont and New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald. Saint Joseph’s President and CEO Michael J. Spicer, and Senior Vice President, Executive Director of St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester Division Bernadette Kingham-Bez, also attended.
“We have long thought of the Family Health Center as a hidden gem here at our Hospital, and now it has a beautiful new home -- one that is so well-deserved for the amazing staff who are so dedicated to their work,” said White Plains Hospital President and CEO Susan Fox, at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The center will continue to be under the direction of family nurse practitioner Sari Maenza, and team members Dr. Vivian Volterre and nurse Lenis Mieses.
In this new space, a patient can be seen on the same day, in the same place -- for a physical illness such as high blood pressure or diabetes -- as well as a behavioral health issue such as depression or anxiety. These conditions are often co-occurring, and treating one effectively positively impacts the other. The facility helps to further the Hospital’s larger goal of raising the bar on health services for all.
“This kind of collaboration and integration is excellent for our community and is really the future of population health here in Westchester,” said Hospital Medical Director Dr. Michael Palumbo. “It enhances communication between providers, it reduces costs for the patient, and it improves quality of care.”
Bringing together primary and preventative care with behavioral health helps to create better outcomes for patients, he said.
The Family Health Center is the latest in a string of growth projects under way at the White Plains Hospital campus, including the groundbreaking of a 252,000 square foot, nine-story center for advanced outpatient care, creation of a new pediatrics unit at the main hospital, and renovations at the Center for Cancer Care in 2016.
Doctors and nurses are expected to move into the new facility and start seeing patients there in the next couple of weeks. To make an appointment at the Family Health Center and Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, call (914) 681-1128.
For more information and to keep up with the latest news and developments at White Plains Hospital, visit the website.