G-Health 2018 Annual Report

3
URBAN FAMILY PRACTICE
Urban Family Practice’s main site on Niagara Street on Buffalo’s West Side. “It’s hard to
get providers around here,”.
Urban Family Practice Opens
the Jefferson facility. The practice is led by Dr.
Primary Care on Buffalo’s East Side Chet Fox, formerly with UBMD Family Medicine
and a former faculty member of UB’s Jacobs
A Buffalo primary care medical practice has
School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. The
opened a second site in the city, taking over an
opening comes just months after the shutdown
East Side practice previously operated by UB
of another City of Buffalo clinic. Lifetime
from D’Youville Family Medicine. College That will site shuttered start in in February. June of
Healthcare closed its clinic at the William E.
2017 citing difficulties in attracting new family
Mosher Health Center in late December. “The
medicine physicians to the clinic in its decision
The practice also added three medical assistants closing of and two a city coordinator, clinics six months all of has whom led
to close the site after 12 years, eliminating
trained at the West Side clinic and are now seeing to increased patients at volume,” the Jefferson states Vazquez. clinic.
the urban component of its family medicine
residency program.
faculty member of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine "It's been & Biomedical swamped. Now, Sciences. we'll
Difficulty finding providers to staff the site was
The opening comes just months after the shutdown be able of to another shift some City of of Buffalo them clinic:
also an issue for Urban Family Practice, leading
Lifetime
to
Healthcare
a six-month
closed
delay in
its
its opening.
clinic at
Urban
the William back E. Mosher to the east Health side Center clinic in late
Family Practice reopened the site Jan. 22, 2018 closer to home. It’s right in the
practice at sites. Jefferson and West Utica. The location will
community and it’s easier or
“The closing complement of two Urban city Family clinics Practice’s in six main months site has led to increased patient volume,”
on Niagara Street on Buffalo’s West Side.
them to get there.”
Still, Vazquez was successful in recruiting and training seven nurse practitioners to the
region, including individuals from Pennsylvania and the Carolinas, of whom five stayed.
They also had to wait for insurance and licensing information to be finalized, a process
that can take 90 days. Additionally, two new physician assistants recently graduated
The practice is led by Dr. Chet Fox, formerly with UBMD Family Medicine and a former
December after a decision by its Rochester-based parent to close all of its primary care
states Vazquez.
“It’s been Dr. swamped,” Vazquez was successful he said. in “Now, recruiting we’ll and be able to shift some of them back to (the
East Side training clinic), seven so Nurse it’s Practitioners closer to to their region, homes. It’s right in the community and it’s easier
for them including to get individuals there.” from Pennsylvania and
The practice the Carolinas. expects Urban to Family see close Practice to assisted 50,000 patients in 2018, nearly double the volume
from 2017.
the practitioners
Vazquez
with
has
obtaining
also implemented
insurance and
new technology to ease entry, using
licensing information, a process that can take 90
computer kiosks reception areas. The kiosk allow patients to check-in, update their
days. Additionally, two new physician assistants
information in the electronic record system, sign consent forms, upload patient photos
recently graduated from D’Youville College and
and even make co-pays with a credit card.
have joined the practice.
“We’re trying to innovate new ways of streamlining the process,” states Vazquez.
The practice also added three medical assistants
and a coordinator, all of whom trained at the
West Side clinic and are now seeing patients at
The practice expects to have close to 35,000
patient visits in 2018, nearly double the volume
from 2017. Vazquez has also implemented new
technology to ease entry, using computer kiosks
in reception areas. The kiosk allows patients
to check-in, update their information in the
electronic record system, sign consent forms,
upload patient photos and even make co-pays
with a credit card.
“We’re trying to innovate new ways of
streamlining the process,” states Vazquez.