PRESS RELEASE

Plainfield Health Center and City of Elizabeth Collaborate to Sustain ElizabethPort Health Center

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 2, 2002-PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY- The Plainfield Health Center (PHC), one of fifteen Federally Qualified Health Centers in New Jersey, dedicated to providing cost effective primary health care services for the residents of Plainfield and surrounding communities, and the City of Elizabeth announced today that, the ElizabethPort (EPort) Community Health Center will officially become a satellite center of the Plainfield Health Center. The EPort Center, was initiated and operated by the Rutgers School of Nursing Services until very recently, when the City of Elizabeth assumed responsibility for the program. PHC has been operating the EPort Center for the City of Elizabeth on an interim basis since January of this year.

The ElizabethPort section of Elizabeth has a population of 30,000 residents. The EPort Community Health Center has been the essential primary care health facility accessible to the residents in the area. ElizabethPort, like parts of Plainfield, is a designated Medically Underserved Area and qualifies for the situate of a Federally Qualified Health Center. The Plainfield Health Center, the only Federally Qualified Health Center in Union County, has the experience and expertise to establish a satellite FQHC site in the EPort area for the expansion of accessible, quality, primary health care services to the area’s uninsured and underinsured populations.

“The Plainfield Health Center was the logical choice when evaluating who could take over the center in Elizabeth,” said Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage. “We have been committed to not only keeping the EPort Health Center open for our citizens, but making it part of a strong, healthy, well managed health organization that could insure its success and growth, long into the future. We look forward to a great partnership with the Plainfield Health Center,” said Mayor Bollwage.

“The Plainfield Health Center is excited about the opportunity to spread its mission to a broader population, and bring over 30 years experience of providing high quality, primary medical care to more residents of Union County,” said Julane Miller-Armbrister, President and CEO of the Plainfield Health Center. “Our mission focuses on eliminating access barriers to health care for all, regardless of ethnicity or economic status. We look forward to expanding the scope of health care services provided to the community,” said Ms. Miller-Armbrister.

“President Bush is committed to increasing access to primary health care for all citizens of the United States and has promised to create or expand 1,000 centers nationwide,” said Kathy Grant-Davis, Executive Director of the New Jersey Primary Care Association. “The Plainfield Health Center, located in Union County, is a model FQHC, ideally situated and most qualified to take over the EPort Center.”

“The ElizabethPort Community Health Center has helped hundreds of families live healthier lives,” stated First Ward Councilman Manny Grova. “Mayor Bollwage and the Elizabeth City Council made sure this Center stayed open and functioning because we knew the well-being of the EPort community depended on it. We wish the Plainfield Health Center much success.”

copyright © PHC 2002