Buffalo, NY –  In a partnership that began nearly 10 years ago, Neighborhood Health Center of WNY is proud to announce a deal with Kaleida Health to purchase the long occupied office at 300 Niagara Street that will further embed its primary care footprint in the high-need area of Buffalo’s lower west side.

Neighborhood Health Center in partnership with Kaleida Health, opened its third office at 300 Niagara Street in 2011 as a means to ensure access to primary care in this particular area. Originally the location for Columbus Hospital, Kaleida Health acquired the 300 Niagara Street office in 1998 to open the Kaleida Niagara Family Health Center, a community-based, multi-specialty primary care office.

Transitioning to present day, Neighborhood Health Center carries on that same legacy to ensure access to primary care in a community of high need. Additionally, Neighborhood Health Center’s designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center has allowed opportunities to expand access to affordable services offered at this office, including Internal Medicine/Family Medicine (IM/FM), Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN), Pediatrics, Dentistry, Pharmacy Services, Podiatry, Behavioral Health and Nutritional Care.

“This announcement comes at a critical point as continued access to primary care for patients amid this public health emergency is more vital now than ever before,” said Joanne Haefner, Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Health Center. “As the ongoing negative effects of COVID-19 continue to exacerbate social and medical inequities for many in our communities, we must remain open to provide continued necessary care. Furthermore, we believe this opportunity extends our desires to have a more permanent public health presence in the community.”

Kaleida Health, the largest healthcare provider in Western New York, had been one of the first to establish a primary care facility in Buffalo’s lower west side and one where patients were proud to come to for their care.

“We are happy to have Neighborhood Health Center continue to carry out a tradition of providing access to primary care in the lower west side,” said Michael Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of Kaleida Health. “Our hope was to always establish a permanent presence for primary care in this community when we first opened over 20 years ago. This partnership with Neighborhood Health Center not only ensures that this continues, but grows.”

Soon to be one of two offices for the Health Center on Niagara Street, this announcement further aligns with the organization’s recent expansion efforts over the past three years including: the Neighborhood Health Center Southtowns office relocation; expansions to Neighborhood Health Center at Blasdell; and recent additions at the organization’s 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 medical, dental, pharmacy, nutritional and behavioral health services to all Western New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay.

“We are grateful to Kaleida Health for such concern for the community that moved them to initiate the primary care presence at this location and the opportunity for us to grow it further,” added Joanne. “As we look beyond this current crisis and into the future, we are assured that this move further establishes our need to be comprehensive and responsive when meeting the pressing health and safety needs of the community.”

Neighborhood Health Center is the primary care home to more than 25,000 Western New Yorkers.