Brooklyn Hospital Center Expanding With 10 New Urgent Care Outposts

With the closure of Long Island College Hospital, the precarious existence of Interfaith Medical Center, and the overall 50% drop in number of borough hospitals since the 1980s, much (perfectly sensible) hand wringing has been done over Brooklyn’s becoming a medical desert–but it seems The Brooklyn Hospital Center and Blue Wolf Capital Partners are aiming to ease ER congestion and provide accessible healthcare to underserved neighborhoods with a number of forthcoming urgent care centers across the borough.

A press release sent today from TBHC and Blue Wolf says the hospital plans to expand their number of offshoot urgent care centers in the borough, which currently include facilities in Sunset Park, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and Brooklyn Heights. 10 new centers are planned by mid-2016, with the first two also slated for (still) federally-designated health professional shortage areas Sunset Park and Williamsburg. Up to six of the 10 planned facilities could be completed by late 2015.

While TBHC will oversee medical operations at all centers, Blue Wolf will seek out facility locations and financing options that best suit the needs of each affected community.

“Our hospital and our health care network are strong, and this partnership will provide access to capital for urgent care centers that will expand our services in underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods that are at the core of our hospital’s mission,” says TBHC President and CEO Dr. Richard B. Becker in today’s statement, calling healthcare investment veteran Blue Wolf “an ideal partner.”

“We have a long-standing commitment of helping strong, well-managed hospitals deliver care to communities in need,” says Blue Wolf Managing Partner Adam Blumenthal. “We believe in sustainable, localized community health care, and we are excited to play a role in its expansion in Brooklyn.”