New Watervliet health center gets grant for dental care

WATERVLIET >> More of the city’s low-income children will have access to dental care thanks to a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region.

The organization recently awarded a grant of nearly $5,000 to Whitney Young Health to improve the availability of dental care at its new Watervliet Health Center.

Whitney Young Health’s mission is to provide access to consistent quality healthcare without regard to income, and the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region will help carry out that mission at the organization’s new location in Watervliet Plaza.

“We are proud to partner with Whitney Young Health and support their incredible work in our community,” said Jeff Yule, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region, in a news release announcing the grant. “We look forward to continuing our partnership in the coming years as we continue our work to improve the health and wellbeing of our region’s children.”

The Watervliet Plaza site, at 1804 Second Ave., which opened in late winter, is a full-service center, with dental care, primary care and behavioral health care provided to patients. The 5,700-square-foot facility has five medical exam rooms and three rooms for the dental practice.

Since 1971, Whitney Young Health has been providing much needed primary medical, dental and behavioral health care to some of the most vulnerable populations in the community. Through multiple medical and dental centers, school-based health centers, addiction programs, a mobile health unit and numerous outreach programs, the organization serves more than 18,000 people annually. More than one-third of its patients live at or below the federal poverty level, while nearly 20 percent have no health insurance and nearly half are children.

Whitney Young Health has been recognized three times by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home at both its Albany and Troy health centers and has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for ambulatory and behavioral health care.

Ronald McDonald House Charities extends its reach to the broader community by awarding grants to other local charitable organizations and programs that directly improve the lives of children. Beneficiaries of RMHC grants are nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated an ability to respond to the needs of children and their families in a definitive, hands-on manner, yielding measurable results.

For more information on Whitney Young Health, visit www.wmyhealth.org. For more on Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region and its outreach programs, visit www.rmhcofalbany.org.