Oswego Health Receives $9.6 Million to Invest in Primary Care Expansion & Technology
Contact: Jamie Leszczynski
Since 1881, Oswego Health has been committed to providing safe, accessible, quality care throughout Central New York. Over the past decade, Oswego Health has focused on expansion of services making access to local healthcare a priority and recently was awarded $9.6 million in grant funding to further expand primary care services and improve clinical communication workflow.
As a result of two NYS Transformation grants, Oswego Health received $9 million to support primary care expansion and $600,000 to invest in an intelligent ecosystem that will directly connect staff and information needed while delivering patient care.
President & CEO, Michael C. Backus shares, “I am so thankful to Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for supporting the transformation of healthcare in New York State. This money comes at a great time strategically as Oswego Health looks to expand services to better serve the needs of our community and support our nursing care teams technologically.”
Oswego Health currently has six primary care locations and employs seventeen primary care providers throughout Oswego County. Before applying for the grant, Oswego Health analyzed the community's need for healthcare services by conducting a community needs survey. 79% of the respondents reported that they travel outside the county for healthcare services. The access to health care indicator reports the percentage of adults aged 18 and older self-report that they do not have at least one person who they think of as their doctor or health care provider. This indicator is relevant because access to regular primary care is important to obtaining preventive healthcare and avoiding unnecessary emergency department visits.
Utilizing the $600,000 grant, Vocera, the industry leading platform for clinical communication and workflow will be deployed throughout Oswego Hospital, Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness and Seneca Hill Manor. This clinical communication technology will optimize patient and staff safety and is proven to obtain a more complete picture of a patient’s situation faster.