BUFFALO, NY -- Neighborhood Health Center has received a $250,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York Blue Fund which will help fund construction at Neighborhood Health Center’s new Riverway location as well as Behavioral Health, Wellness, and Community Health services at Riverway.

Construction is already underway on the 26,000 square foot Riverway location at 1569 Niagara Street which includes the renovation of an old manufacturing warehouse into a state-of-the-art medical center. Riverway will be home to a full complement of services including Internal/Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Dentistry, Behavioral Health, Nutritional Counseling, Podiatry and Pharmacy. This location will open up critical health care access to thousands of residents in the area as it joins Neighborhood Health Center’s two other city locations currently serving the community at 300 Niagara Street and 155 Lawn Avenue in Buffalo.

The Blue Fund grant will enable Neighborhood Health Center to co-locate its Behavioral Health department, Community Health workers, and Wellness department at the new location in order to expand its population health care management model to better serve the most high risk patients.

“Preventative services and the continued need to address the social determinants of health that many of our patients and beloved community members experience are so important,” says Neighborhood Health Center CEO Joanne Haefner. “We are thrilled to have the support of the Blue Fund for this expansion as we continue our mission to improve patients’ lives by offering impactful health care provided by kind people.”

“Blue Fund builds on our company’s 85-year legacy by making meaningful investments in organizations that are working to enhance the health of our community and address social determinants of health,” said Michael Ball, Director, Blue Fund, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. “With behavioral health a key focus area of Blue Fund, we’re proud to support Neighborhood Health Center’s expansion of its population health care management model to better serve the health care needs of the most vulnerable patients.”

Mr. Ball presented the grant check to Neighborhood Health Center at the Riverway location on Friday, August 20. Click here to watch the video of the check presentation, and hear from Neighborhood Health Center CEO Joanne Haefner.

Renovations began at the Riverway site in February 2021 and construction completion is expected in the first half of 2022. When it opens, Riverway will immediately become the primary care home to more than 4,000 patients in need of quality, affordable healthcare.

The addition of Riverway as a fifth location aligns with Neighborhood Health Center’s other expansion projects over the past few years including: the purchase of the medical center at 300 Niagara Street from Kaleida Health; the Neighborhood Health Center Southowns office relocation; expansion at the Neighborhood Health Center Blasdell office; and recent additions at its Northwest office.

Neighborhood Health Center has been the region’s leading primary care safety-net provider for more than 30 years and provides high-quality comprehensive healthcare services to all Western New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay. Neighborhood Health Center is currently the primary care home to more than 26,000 Western New Yorkers.