Grants to Improve Upstate Health Care

ALBANY, 03/23/09 - State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I-Oneonta) today announced that a number of physicians, hospitals, and health care facilities in the 51st district will receive funding under New York State’s Doctors Across New York program.

Under the program $15.6 million in funding is provided to offer loan forgiveness, grants and enhanced reimbursement to encourage new primary care and specialist physicians to practice in underserved areas.

“The ‘Doctors Across New York’ program is particularly important to rural upstate areas of the state that have trouble attracting physicians,” said Senator Seward. “By repaying loans through this program, doctors can concentrate on working in these underserved areas, caring for patients, and improving the local quality of life.”

Items in the Doctors Across New York program include:

* A loan repayment program - up to $150,000 - for medical school loans for new physicians who commit to practice in medically underserved communities for five years;

* Two year grants totaling $100,000 to support new doctors who join or establish practices in communities that are medically underserved;

* Funding for minority and economically-disadvantaged students who are accepted to medical school programs; and

* $5 million to support resident training in community settings.

“Providing high-quality health care is just one piece of the puzzle. This will help bring business to the region, and improve economic development for our upstate area,” concluded Seward.

Attached is a list of local physicians and health care facilities receiving funding.