Background
A well-documented national shortage in primary care coupled with data highlighting that the Bronx is the least healthy county in New York prompted the inception and development of NYREACH 501(c)(3) . Factors such as health behavior variance across ethnicity, proximity to outpatient medical care, and socio-economic limitations all underscore the need for greater access to healthcare.
A large key to solving this gap in healthcare accessibility is dedication to workforce development, thereby inspiring the goal of creating a greater supply of trained medical professionals committed to working as primary care providers in underserved population dense areas such as the Bronx. Through the education and training of primary care providers such as registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), increased routine and preventive care is available to community members, leading to an increase in overall population health. In fact, the most recent report issued by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics expects the national number of nursing jobs to increase 26% by 2020.
In response to this growing need, Essen Medical Associates created the Primary Care Pathway (PCP) program, formerly known as the MD-NP program, an accelerated program that offers the training required to become a practicing primary care provider in the state of New York.
Through a mandatory return of service requirement, the PCP program employs an existing subset of previously trained medical graduates, thereby allowing them to utilize their clinical skills in helping the community and increasing the provider-patient ratio, often cited as the number one key in reducing healthcare cost burdens.
Purpose
NYREACH, founded in January 2015, is a non-profit organization aimed at improving access to healthcare within low income and underserved communities, primarily in the Bronx, but extending to the greater NY metropolitan area. The goal of NYREACH is to provide workforce development directed toward the improvement of community public health and population health outcomes.
By collaborating with integral healthcare organizations and community members, NYREACH aims to use innovative community-based health research studies to guide and implement interventional programs that promote quality healthcare through community outreach and education.
Community Outreach
NYREACH is working on a dual partnership with both Upwardly Global, the largest non-profit organization in the Northeast that provides job placement for qualified immigrants, and the LaGuardia Welcome Back Center, part of LaGuardia Community College (LCC).
NYREACH regularly holds talks and symposiums at LCC, and at other local academic centers, to explain the alternative career paths for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) interested in working within the community.
Affiliate Agreements in Process:
- Mount Sinai Health System
- St Joseph Hospital
- NYU
- Jacobi Medical Center
- Barnabas Health
- Health First
- Columbia University
- Bronx- Lebanon Hospital Center
- American Heart Association
- American Medical Association
- Lehman College
NYREACH is aimed at generating and training a multinational workforce dedicated to working within and meeting the needs of our diverse ethnic community. Evidence based guidelines suggest that matching provider and patient ethnicity can have overwhelmingly positive health outcomes and increase patient compliance.
With the overarching goal of improving access to healthcare and thereby influencing long-term health outcomes, NYREACH is committed to positively affecting public health. As the organization expands, funding will allow increased opportunities for the development of a primary care workforce and evidence-based community research, both of which will assist the growing need for accessible patient-centered healthcare.
