New Clinic at Woodhull Hospital Offers Affordable Care for the Uninsured

BUSHWICK/BED-STUY — Today, Woodhull Hospital will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its ExpressCare clinic, offering sliding-scale fees and prioritizing non-emergency patients.

Woodhull Hospital, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals system, located at 760 Broadway, will be the first of the Brooklyn locations with an ExpressCare clinic. Woodhull has 388 beds, an LGBTQ+ health center, and serves the residents of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, and Bed-Stuy.

The ExpressCare clinic will shorten the wait time for patients with non-life-threatening conditions and will offer a connection for follow-up care with primary care doctors in the NYC Health + Hospitals system.

“The main mission of the ExpressCare clinics is to provide patients with faster access to the appropriate level of care, while simultaneously lowering the volume and wait time in the emergency department,” Michelle Hernandez, the Public Affairs Director at Woodhull, told Bklyner. “The ExpressCare Clinic will help NYC Health + Hospitals to meet the New York State Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by 25 percent by 2020.”

The clinic will accept most insurance plans and walk-ins are welcome and no appointments are necessary, with weekday evening hours of from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. The space of the clinic is shared with the geriatrics department, so the ExpressCare opens after that department closes.

“The hours allow patients to see a doctor at the time when most doctor’s offices are closed,” Hernandez said. Plus, patients will be seen on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The clinic had a soft opening in December and was finalizing the space since. The hospital hopes to handle 300 plus patients a month after their ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The first few months have been slow however we have seen increased growth as the word gets out into the community and we conduct more marketing,” Hernandez added.

Patients without insurance will be directed to the health system’s reduced fee-scale payment program or receive assistance with insurance enrollment if eligible. If patients don’t qualify for insurance, they are assessed for H+H Options or NYC Care, which offers reduced fees.

Hernandez explained these fees vary based on the number of family members. For one person, based on the annual income, the rates are below:

• Income less than $12,490….ER (express care) visit = $3 and Rx = $2 and regular clinic visit = $0
• Income between $12,491 and $15,613 …ER = $3, Rx = $2; surgery = $25, clinic visit =$2
• Income between $15,614 and $18,735…ER = $3, RX = $2 and clinic visit = $3, surgery = $25
• Income between $18, 736 and $24,980…ER = $75, RX = $6, clinic visit = $20

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will take place today, Friday, February 28, at 5 p.m. at the Woodhull Hospital, 760 Broadway. For more information visit their website.

Update: The clinic aims to help 300 patients a month, not a day.