March 31, 2014 By Michael Florio
Court Square, NY: Planned Parenthood of New York is scheduled to start construction on a new health care center, representing its first center in Queens.
The center will be located in Court Square, at 21-45 45th Road, and is expected to open in 2015.
Planned Parenthood is opening the Court Square facility since many women who live in Queens often have to travel to other boroughs to receive treatment. Queens is the only borough in New York without a Planned Parenthood facility at present.
Planned Parenthood anticipates that it will serve 17,500 patients a year at its Court Square facility. The center, like all others, will provide breast and cervical cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment, abortions and routine gynecological care.
“The new health center will strengthen our ability to provide Queens residents with the essential reproductive health care services they need,” said Joan Malin, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood in a statement.
Planned Parenthood estimates that one in five women in Queens do not have health insurance, based on the latest census figures.
“I’m thrilled that Planned Parenthood of New York City is opening a health center in the borough,” said Sheila Lewandowski of The Chocolate Factory Theater and LIC Business Women. “The success of too many women—and families—in our community is hampered by a lack of affordable, quality health care.”
