With a $750,000 allocation from local elected officials, Gotham Health, Belvis in the South Bronx will receive physical upgrades to improve the flow of patients entering the clinic.
Borough President Vanessa Gibson and outgoing Council Member and Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala presented the check to staff at Gotham Health at 545 East 142nd St., where providers treat patients in adult medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, radiology and women’s health.
The capital funding will be used for infrastructure improvements to the hospital lobby, including an ADA-compliant public restroom, larger entryway and modernized reception area.
Lata Singh, chief operating officer of Gotham Health, said the renovations go “well beyond visual upgrades” and will help ease congestion and improve wait times. “This investment ensures that as the Bronx evolves, Gotham Health evolves with it,” she added.
Gibson said the improvements will help staff provide “patient-centered care in an environment that is welcoming, accessible and designed for the future.”
She said incoming Council Member Elsie Encarnacion, who is currently Ayala’s chief of staff, will continue Ayala’s partnership with H+H Gotham Health.
As Gibson begins her second term, “You can count on me to come back with more money,” she said.
Ayala leaves office this month and bid a fond farewell to Gotham Health with the capital funding announcement.
Like others, she emphasized the need for the physical space to reflect the care of those working there. She always made sure her own office was clean and welcoming for constituents, she said. “They deserve a space that feels like home.”
Ayala also spoke to healthcare disparities she experienced while switching from Medicaid to a private insurance plan.
She said she went from a local clinic where she never spoke with a doctor to one with a pleasant lobby, on-time appointments and an opportunity to speak with the doctor in her office before beginning an exam. Those details made a big difference, she added. “My experience never taught me that I was entitled to that.”
Elected officials must always juggle many priorities and limited funding, Ayala said. “We all have pet projects that we love, but we have a greater responsibility to see the bigger picture, and there is nothing bigger than health equity.”
Gotham staff said that most patients arrive at the clinic already in an anxious state and many as 10 to 20% fail to show up even for scheduled appointments, said Dr. Charles Gillihan, medical director of Gotham Health, Belvis.
Clinic upgrades are one factor that can keep them consistently coming back, Gillihan added. When patients see they are cared for and invested in, “I tell you, their blood pressure will go down.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
