The Addabbo Family Health Center (AFHC), located in Jamaica, has experienced a large increase in patient visits thanks to a new model it has been using over the last year.
Formerly known as the St. Dominic Health Center, it faced closure after its owner, Caritas Healthcare System, filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Rather than see the community lose a health center, the Addabbo Family Health Center took over and worked with partners to turn things around.
“The Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) helped to construct this facility originally and it was very much invested in making sure it stayed here and served the needs of the community,” said Dan Lowenstein, PCDC’s director of external affairs. “We knew that it could do much better.”
Although the center, which is located at 11449 Sutphin Boulevard, previously saw an average of 30 patients a day, it now sees a daily average of 150.
Dr. Peter Nelson, the executive director of AFHC, said that the increase is a result of the new philosophy and model being used. He said that the philosophy is very patient-centered.
Whereas the health center use to following a model focused on teaching, it has changed to now focus on the cultural and medical issues of its patients. Nelson said that “a great deal of effort [has been] put in to being a culturally sensitive organization that is responsive to the community needs and culture.”
“We are really driven by the patients’ needs,” Nelson said. “Our major issue here is how do we keep patients out of hospitals, how do we keep them healthy.”
Nelson noted that AFHC brought in more services. In addition, he said that changes were made to make the center more convenient while creating a “feel good experience.”
“This is a community in dire need of primary care and the loss of this health center would have been devastating,” Nelson said. “Thanks to our partners, our staff and the wonderful residents of Jamaica, we have expanded primary care access, bolstered programs and services, and integrated the capabilities we provide with the needs of the community.”
South Jamaica resident Natacha Paul has been coming to AFHC for care for the last year. She said that the care is very good and the doctors are attentive and thorough.
“My experience here has been very positive,” Paul said during a recent follow-up visit with her eight-year-old son Joshua.
Looking forward, Nelson said that the biggest challenge the health center will face is trying to take advantage of opportunities to broaden its reach and capacity using limited resources.
“Unless the state, the city and foundations see that this is an important thing to invest in a one-time way, we won’t be able to expand,” Nelson said.
By the time the health center reaches its second year anniversary, Nelson said that he “would like to have been able to address the needs in this borough relative to primary care.”
