Oak Orchard Health gives state officials tours during National Health Center Week

Organization seeks Multi-Generational Wellness Campus in Albion

Photos courtesy of Oak Orchard Health: Karen Kinter, CEO of Oak Orchard Health, gave tours of the community health center last week in Albion to JW Cook, left, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley in Batavia.

Press Release, Oak Orchard Health

ALBION – Oak Orchard Health last week celebrated National Health Center Week with the theme “America’s Health Centers Celebrating 60 Years of Improving our Nation’s Health.”

With 1 in 10 Americans using community health centers to get primary care, this statistic emphasizes the importance we play in the community. Oak Orchard Health cared for 34,184 patients in 2024 across all our health centers.

As part of our recent celebration, Oak Orchard Health had the honor of hosting two distinguished government officials for tours of our health centers, providing an opportunity to showcase our services, discuss current challenges, and share future plans.

August 6 – Visit from JW Cook, Regional Representative for Governor Hochul

JW Cook visited our Albion Health Center, where he presented a proclamation recognizing our contributions to the community. During the visit, we discussed the challenges we face regarding grant funding and potential budget reductions.

We also shared our application for a grant to support the development of a 28,000-square-foot Multi-Generational Wellness Campus at the Albion Health Center Campus in Orleans County. This initiative, in collaboration with community partners, aims to centralize care and improve access to essential services for rural populations.

Planned services include walk-in healthcare, behavioral health support for aging adults, preschool special education, a centralized Head Start program, daycare, recreational activities, and more.

Following the tour, we highlighted the critical role of our Patient Engagement Services team, which provides transportation, translation, and advocacy for individuals facing barriers to accessing care—particularly specialist services. We also emphasized the importance and planned expansion of our behavioral health offerings.

August 7 – Visit from Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Assemblyman Hawley toured our Batavia office, where we provide primary care, pediatric services, and behavioral health support. We discussed the ongoing challenge of recruiting qualified medical and dental professionals to serve our communities.

Additionally, we shared the success of our warming centers, which have served over 170 individuals at the Brockport Community Warming Center and more than 300 at the Orleans County Warming Center.

We extend our sincere thanks to JW Cook and Assemblyman Steve Hawley for taking the time to visit our facilities and engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of healthcare in our region.

Oak Orchard Health

Founded in 1973, Oak Orchard has grown into an integrated health center with multiple locations providing health care services for everyone in our communities. Currently serving over 34,000 patients at nine locations in the towns of Albion, Alexander, Batavia, Brockport, Corfu, Hornell, Medina, and Warsaw. We also have two mobile units for medical and dental services. Oak Orchard Health is a recognized NCQA patient-centered medical home, 501(c)3 nonprofit, Federally Qualified Health Center and has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.