Hayworth Pledges Support for Open Door Medical Center
Congresswoman Nan Hayworth pledged her support to look for federal money for critically important health clinics but mentioned that it could mean Medicaid being reformed so it is funded through a block grant system.
During a visit last Friday to Open Door Medical Center in Mount Kisco, Hayworth said the dilemma facing her and many legislators around the nation is the need to cut Medicaid spending to help get the nation’s deficit under control but not hurt facilities that are serving their communities.
About 55 percent of the funding for Open Door, which also has sites in Ossining, Tarrytown and Port Chester, comes from Medicaid, said its President and CEO Lindsay Farrell. Open Door serves mostly poor families who often don’t have health insurance.
“What we want to do is make Medicaid more efficient and more effective,” Hayworth said, “and as a federal legislator representing a district in New York State, I want to work with New York State to make sure that we are not punishing our Open Door clinic that’s doing such a tremendous job with the resources that it gets when there probably are other providers elsewhere in the state who are not doing this kind of really outstanding job.”
Hayworth, who reiterated her objection to raising any taxes to increase the federal government’s revenues, said there are Republicans and Democrats in the House who see merit in the block grant system but some are concerned about its impact on health care facilities. Block grants would make individual states administer Medicaid funds and determine eligibility for recipients. Some officials believe that would cut down on redundancies, waste and abuse. It was included as part Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan’s Republican budget plan earlier this year.
Farrell said she was pleased to host Hayworth, an ophthalmologist, because she is familiar with the challenges facing the health care industry. It was also an opportunity to give the congresswoman a firsthand look at what Open Door does.
But Farrell also made it clear that she is concerned about Open Door’s future given the uncertainty over the debt ceiling limit and Medicaid funding discussions. At its four sites last year, doctors saw about 43,500 patients for family and internal medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, dentistry, optometry, counseling and other services.
“We get direct federal grants and Medicaid is our single largest payer,” she said. “So half of that money comes from the state and the other half comes from the federal government so that’s why we’re so concerned.”
The opening of a fifth site in Brewster is scheduled in about six months, Farrell said. The new facility is on target to open even though no federal funds are expected. However, what Congress does with Medicaid could restrict the services for those in need of medical attention in Putnam.
During Hayworth’s tour of the Mount Kisco facility, Dr. Daren Wu demonstrated the clinic’s use of state-of-the-art technology that provides a detailed medical history of each visiting patient. Wu said the system, which only 25 to 30 percent of medical providers use, limits the need for unwanted tests and procedures and saves the health care system money.
Last year, Open Door was awarded the national HIMSS Davies Award for Excellence for its implementation and use of the technology.
Wu said the clinic serves everyone regardless of insurance status. With a large immigrant population in Mount Kisco and the other areas they serve, seeking preventative health care is key to warding off health problems later.
“Our main mission is to take care of the folks around this area,” Wu said.
Upon leaving, Hayworth remarked how impressed she was with Open Door’s service to their patients.
“They look at their patients not only as individuals but also as men, women and children who are members of a community,” the congresswoman said. “You think about what you have taking care of all of these patients and you apply that in the community so that you can help other individuals.”
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/