Neighborhood Health Center has been selected to receive a 2025 Health Equity Innovation Award from Univera Healthcare. This award will support Neighborhood’s work to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes across Western New York.

The award will help fund Neighborhood’s “Bridging Health Outcome Gaps through Social Needs Screening and Response” initiative. Neighborhood has found success in reducing disparities in low birthweight deliveries in part through social needs screenings for pregnant patients, and connecting patients to medical and social resources they need for healthy pregnancies. The 2025 award from Univera Healthcare will enable Neighborhood to replicate this process for patients with hypertension and diabetes.

This Neighborhood program was chosen for its innovative approach, community engagement, and alignment with Univera Healthcare’s goal of advancing health equity. The Health Equity Innovation Awards reflect Univera Healthcare’s commitment to improving community health by investing in programs that promote equity, expand access to care, and support underserved populations.

“Improving hypertension and diabetes control will improve the health and wellbeing of patients by preventing or slowing long-term effects such as heart and vascular disease, vision loss, neuropathy, and cognitive decline,” said Neighborhood Health Center President and CEO Joanne Haefner. “Health and security are reciprocal: poor health can make securing one's needs difficult, and social insecurity can make it challenging for a person to manage chronic disease. By addressing social needs in a healthcare setting, we partner with patients to access social resources while we manage treatment for their medical conditions. We are honored to receive this award and grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients.”

Neighborhood is the top health center for quality in Western New York, among the top statewide, and in the top 20% nationwide according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. In patient surveys, Neighborhood has a 95% overall satisfaction score. Neighborhood is Western New York’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center, welcoming and caring for the community for 38 years. Across its seven locations, Neighborhood is the primary care home for more than 32,000 patients.

Click here to watch the awards announcement, and hear from recipients, on "Daytime Buffalo."