BUFFALO, NY – Buffalo’s Lower West Side neighborhood is experiencing a significant economic transformation, and the Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network (GBUAHN) is contributing to this progress by building a new $5 million medical facility. Mayor Byron W. Brown joined GBUAHN at today’s ground breaking ceremony for the new medical facility that will offer a full variety of healthcare services. He also issued a proclamation declaring August 3, 2016 as ‘Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network’ day in the City of Buffalo.

“As we continue to grow Buffalo into a city of opportunity for all people, I thank the Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network for its continued commitment to our community and launching one of the largest commercial development projects taking place on the lower west side of Buffalo in 25 years,” said Mayor Brown, adding that the city has already provided support for this significant health care project via the Office of Strategic Planning and Permits and Inspection Services.

“This will be an exciting addition to our community,” said Raul Vazquez, MD, GBUAHN chief executive officer. “It will help decrease the fragmented healthcare that has been at our end of the city for a long time.”

The $5 million, 40,000-square-foot building will feature a variety of physicians’ and specialists’ offices, a cancer treatment center, nutrition services, a fitness and wellness center, pharmacy, ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, laboratory, and a 24-hour call center.

The state-of-the-art medical facility is expected to add up to 100 new jobs and pump $11 million annually into the local economy. More than 50,000 patients will walk through the doors of the facility each year. The structure will also house GBUAHN business offices.

“Now residents will have access to a ‘one-stop-shop’ that can take care of all of their healthcare and basic needs. It’s one of the most needed projects to ever come to Buffalo’s West Side,” said Vazquez.

Vazquez says GBUAHN is one of, if not the, largest minority employers in the City of Buffalo. GBUAHN has a staff of 160; Vazquez expects that number to grow to 200 – 260 employees by this time next year.

The facility is scheduled for completion in spring 2017.

Founded in 2013, the Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network (GBUAHN) has over 6,000 members and is the seventh largest Medicaid health home in NY State. Medicaid health homes were established under Section 2703 of the Affordable Care Act as a team-based clinical approach offering coordinated care services to individuals with multiple chronic health conditions, including mental health and substance abuse disorders. This free service integrates all primary care, acute, behavioral health and long-term services and supports to treat the whole person. Care teams work closely with patients to get them all the services they need in the community (i.e. food, housing, and clothing). For more information on GBUAHN, visit www.gbuahn.org

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