NYU Langone Health Center opens in Red Hook, by Brian Abate

Red Hook has a beautiful, new health center. Red Hook Family Health Center at NYU Langone, 168 Van Brunt Street. celebrated its grand opening on June 13. The facility will be open five days per week.

“Our presence in Red Hook helps meet the needs of this underserved community,” said Larry K. McReynolds, executive director of the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone.

Services at the Health Center include primary care, including pediatrics and family medicine, routine dental care, women’s health, including gynecologic wellness visits and obstetric care during pregnancy, as well as behavioral health and family support.

“There are nine exam rooms in total, including two dedicated to dental services,” said Jon Diaz,  site director for Health Centers at NYU Langone. “We understand there’s not a lot of dental down in Red Hook so this is a big addition.”

Dental care included

“Oral health is really important,” said Isaac Dapkins, who is chief medical officer of the Family Health Center and a primary care doctor. “We want kids to have fluoride treatments and sealants. Gum disease is associated with heart disease and bad outcomes in pregnancies. The same goes for cavities. Getting access to preventative dental services lowers the risk of a lot of other health issues.”

“We’re very fortunate because we’ve had an NYU school-based clinic for medical, mental health, and dental at P.S. 15 for many years now,” said principal Julie Cavanagh. “This is a dream come true to now have the services be available for all of the families. We have a vision of comprehensive, coordinated care for the children and their families, and NYU is a big first step in making that happen.”

Cavanagh is “Encouraging all of our families to enroll here so that way if there is an emergency or something happened which requires them to receive care outside of Red Hook, they’ll already be fully connected to the NYU network.”

Violeta Maya, a board member, thanked McReynolds and NYU Langone for both taking care of her health-wise and for opening in Red Hook.

“Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of people go through health problems in this community but I have also seen the big improvement in health care here,” Maya said. “Red Hook isn’t about just one group or community, it’s about all of us, and I’m not sure there are many other neighborhoods like that. So this is helping all of us.”

One of the key points is that they want to provide health care for everyone.

Inclusive care, even without insurance

“We’re focused on being comprehensive and culturally competent,” said Dapkins. “If anyone comes to see us, we’re open to seeing them regardless of their ability to pay, their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It’s our mission to take care of anyone who comes in and that really distinguishes us. Anyone can come here, even if they don’t have health insurance.”