ULSTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE MIKE HEIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE WALTER FREY AND PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. LA MAR HASBROUCK OPEN NEW DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CLINIC IN KINGSTON

Posted November 19, 2010

 

Satellite Offices Consolidated for Savings and More Accessible Service

Kingston, NY - Ulster County Executive Mike Hein, Health and Human Services Chairman Walter Frey and Ulster County’s Public Health Director, Dr. La Mar Hasbrouck hosted a ribbon-cutting today at the Department of Health’s new clinic located at 230 Aaron Court at the Willow Park Office Complex, in Kingston. Services offered at the new Kingston area clinic at Willow Park will include low cost or free immunizations, HIV testing, STD testing, and treatment and a Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinic.

The new clinic consolidates services from satellite clinics, which the county operated in New Paltz/Highland, Saugerties and downtown Kingston. The county was responsible for full-time operating costs for the satellite clinics, while they were only needed on a part-time basis. This was inefficient and no longer sustainable. The county will continue to operate part-time clinics in rented space, on an as needed basis, in the Highland/New Paltz and Saugerties communities, at a far lower cost.

"It has been my administration’s goal from the beginning to implement strategies that provide essential services to the people of Ulster County in a much more cost-efficient manner," said County Executive Mike Hein. "This new clinic not only succeeds in doing that, it also enhances access to the preventative health services that will save taxpayers even more in the long run."

"Opening this clinic demonstrates government working together to achieve efficiencies and cost savings in spending while still serving the full needs of the residents of Ulster County," said County Legislator Walter Frey, Chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee.

Dr. Hasbrouck said, "This milestone signals our continued commitment to work smarter and more efficiently, while expanding access to health services that many vulnerable county residents rely upon. We set an aggressive timeline for this consolidation that we were able to meet with the leadership of the County Executive and the support of other departments."