More than $3 million in federal funding is on its way to the Finger Lakes region to improve health care access and shore up emergency operations, U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced Monday.
The funding, $3,173,000, will help provide health care and supportive services to underserved communities and improve health care infrastructure. It will also make emergency operations more resilient to energy disruptions, ensuring that first responders maintain their ability to respond quickly.
"I am proud to deliver this $3+ million shot in the arm for our brave Rochester and Finger Lakes first responders and healthcare workers,” said Sen. Schumer. "From technology upgrades to expand real-time patient monitoring and convenient health care access for patients at Rochester General and Unity Hospitals and improving mental health services at Nazareth University, to ensuring Livingston County's Emergency Operations Center has emergency power to keep them prepared to take on every emergency, this funding will improve quality of life and give our brave first responders the resources they need to keep our communities healthy and safe."
As part of the funding package, Trillium Health, Inc. will receive $1,673,000 to expand its existing medical clinic, pharmacy, and food cupboard space in the city of Rochester, Rochester General Hospital will receive $1 million to implement virtual care delivery technology at both RGH and Unity Hospital to expand their patient centered care delivery model capabilities, $250,000 will go to Nazareth University to improve access to mental health services in Rochester and $250,000 will also go to Livingston County Emergency Operations Center to build a solar array and on-site battery storage that can provide green, auxiliary power.
"Rochester General Hospital and Trillium Health provide world-class health care," said Gillibrand in a statement. "This funding will help them expand their facilities and implement new technologies to better serve the people of Rochester. It will also help address a shortage of mental health care services in the region and provide backup for first responders. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure that Rochester’s health care providers and first responders have the resources they need to care for their communities."