History of Whitney Young
Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Services opened its doors on July 19, 1971 at the corner of Ten Broeck and Livingston, in the Arbor Hill community of Albany, then more aptly known as the Northside. A group of community leaders, known as the Northside Health Center Advisory Council, made it their mission to set up an organization that would provide access to quality health care. The first meeting of the Council was held in 1969 at Dorsey's Cafe on Broadway. Early on, the Council worked hand-in-hand with Albany Medical College to make Whitney Young a reality.

Albany Medical College oversaw the operation of Whitney Young until 1978, when control was transferred to the consumer-dominated board of directors.

In its early years, Whitney Young served 2,700 patients. Today, Whitney Young provides quality health care services to more than 16,000 patients annually, without regard to income.

Key milestones

• June 24, 1974, Whitney Young began operating in its current home at 920 Lark Drive.
• November 2001, a $650,000 renovation to the current Albany Health Center was completed.
• July 5, 2005, Whitney Young opened the Troy Health Center to serve residents of Troy and northern Rensselaer County.
• August 30, 2007, Whitney Young and the City School District of Albany announce a collaboration to provide first-ever primary medical care services to Albany elementary students.
• September 23, 2008, fulltime dental services opened at the Troy Health Center

As Whitney Young continues on its strategic path of growth and expansion to serve more families and individuals, we are ever mindful of the founding principles that were so passionately advocated for by the men and women of Arbor Hill and Albany in the late 1960's. Our early founders were determined and passionate individuals who fought to bring much needed health care to their neighborhood.

More than forty years after the discussions began about the need and desire to build a community health center, the goal of reducing barriers to care for all residents of Arbor Hill and the surrounding communities still guides the leadership of Whitney Young today.

Many of the partnerships that were forged in those early days are still in existence. And without the ongoing collaborations with area clergy, community, business and government leaders, Whitney Young would not be the organization we are today.