A New Health Hub in Mount Vernon: Montefiore and Mayor Unveil Upgraded Family Wellness Center

Montefiore Einstein and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard on Monday unveiled a modernized Family Health & Wellness Center at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital. The project, presented at a ribbon-cutting event at the hospital, retools an existing outpatient space into a brighter, more accessible clinic aimed at serving families across the city. Officials said the center will offer primary care, pediatric services and several specialty and wellness options under one roof, reducing the number of trips patients must make for routine and chronic care. The announcement framed the center as a first step in a broader push to shore up local health services and expand care access close to home.

Inside the renovated center: services, space and staff

Hospital leaders described wide-ranging physical upgrades: renovated exam rooms, upgraded waiting areas, new accessibility features, and dedicated space for behavioral health and chronic disease management. The center will house primary care providers and pediatricians alongside specialists such as diabetes educators and behavioral health counselors. Officials said telehealth rooms and updated electronic check-in kiosks will streamline visits, and a small on-site lab will handle common tests so patients don’t have to travel elsewhere. Staffing will include additional nurse practitioners and care coordinators, with operating hours extended into early evenings on weekdays and limited weekend hours to fit working families’ schedules. The facility’s footprint and number of exam rooms were not billed as a major expansion of overall hospital capacity, but as a reconfiguration to make outpatient care more efficient and family friendly.

How the renovation is paid for and why the state backed it

The renovation is billed as the first project paid for by a larger New York State capital grant announced earlier this year. City and hospital officials said the grant totals $41 million for capital projects aimed at improving community health infrastructure; the Mount Vernon work is the initial award to be spent locally. Money from the grant is being used for construction, equipment such as exam room furnishings and telehealth technology, accessibility improvements and initial staffing costs tied to the new services. Officials outlined a short timetable: construction was completed for this opening phase and services will ramp up over the next several weeks, while remaining grant-funded projects in the pipeline will follow a multi-year schedule. State officials, quoted by the hospital, emphasized the program’s goal of reducing health disparities and keeping care within neighborhoods.

What this means for Mount Vernon residents

Local leaders presented the center as a practical fix for long-standing hurdles to care. By co-locating primary, pediatric and some specialty services, residents can get more care in one visit — a benefit for parents balancing jobs, school and family needs. The addition of behavioral health and chronic disease support aims to address common local needs such as diabetes and mental-health care, officials said. The project also brings modest job creation: new nurse practitioners, care coordinators and front-line staff were listed among immediate hires, with additional work for construction and vendors during renovation. City health officials framed the project as aligning with broader efforts to make timely care more convenient and reduce pressure on emergency rooms.

Leaders’ words and how residents can access services

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said the center ‘brings vital care closer to families who need it most,’ and described it as an example of practical city-state partnership. A Montefiore Einstein representative said the upgrade reflects the health system’s commitment to community-based care and improving patient experience. Both parties urged residents to check the hospital’s local outreach for enrollment and scheduling details. The center is open now for routine appointments, with expanded services phased in over coming weeks. Patients can call the hospital’s main number or visit in person during business hours to set up care; officials said outreach will target schools, senior centers and neighborhood groups to spread the word.

Sources

• prnewswire.com