PORT BYRON - Things are pretty crowded at the Port Byron Health Center. The small medical office has a handful of rooms for examinations, lab work, consultation and medical charts.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Nurse practitioner Chris Gray looks over a patient's records at the Port Byron Health Clinic the morning of Friday, May 8. The clinic, which Gray has run since 2003, recently received a $1.17 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Nurse practitioner Chris Gray looks over a patient's records at the Port Byron Health Clinic the morning of Friday, May 8. The clinic, which Gray has run since 2003, recently received a $1.17 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Records are stacked and packed. The reception desk barely has room for the receptionist. And yet, the rural health center provides primary and dental care to about 3,000 patients.
“Our parking lot is usually full all the way down to the road,” said Chris Gray, the nurse practitioner who runs the clinic.
That's all about to change, however. The center, which Gray has been operating since 2003, recently received a $1.17 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
She plans to use the money for updating and expanding the facility, which serves a rural population that often lacks the money and insurance for quality care.
Gray envisions four examination rooms and four dental rooms, and a special room where she can work with people on social issues.
She also expects to update the records to an electronic system and implement a tele-health program that would monitor patients from home.
“I can envision physical therapy, occupational therapy, even a pharmacy in this community,” Gray said.
That's a lot more than could have been envisioned when she first opened the clinic in 2003. At the time, Gray was the caregiver and she had one receptionist. The local patient base continued to grow, and she needed more staff. But the reimbursement rates with her mostly rural clientele did not give her the money to expand.
So she stayed on call 24 hours a day, she said. And that doesn't even bring into consideration the challenges of directing a clinic as a nurse, not a physician.
“I was basically working pro bono,” Gray said.
Last year, the nonprofit Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project took over the clinic in a mutually beneficial move. Gray gets to continue running the place, but she also gets some more resources with which to work.
As of today, there is a dentist and hygienist and other care workers at the clinic. They are looking to hire a full-time physician as well.
“We have grown so much, even in just one year,” she said.
That doesn't mean the work is getting any easier. In fact, there is still a lot to be done as the federal funds come in and the expansion begins.
Gray said she is ready for it.
“This has been the hardest work I've ever done,” Gray said. “But I have to say, I've lived my dream.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
“Our parking lot is usually full all the way down to the road,” said Chris Gray, the nurse practitioner who runs the clinic.
That's all about to change, however. The center, which Gray has been operating since 2003, recently received a $1.17 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
She plans to use the money for updating and expanding the facility, which serves a rural population that often lacks the money and insurance for quality care.
Gray envisions four examination rooms and four dental rooms, and a special room where she can work with people on social issues.
She also expects to update the records to an electronic system and implement a tele-health program that would monitor patients from home.
“I can envision physical therapy, occupational therapy, even a pharmacy in this community,” Gray said.
That's a lot more than could have been envisioned when she first opened the clinic in 2003. At the time, Gray was the caregiver and she had one receptionist. The local patient base continued to grow, and she needed more staff. But the reimbursement rates with her mostly rural clientele did not give her the money to expand.
So she stayed on call 24 hours a day, she said. And that doesn't even bring into consideration the challenges of directing a clinic as a nurse, not a physician.
“I was basically working pro bono,” Gray said.
Last year, the nonprofit Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project took over the clinic in a mutually beneficial move. Gray gets to continue running the place, but she also gets some more resources with which to work.
As of today, there is a dentist and hygienist and other care workers at the clinic. They are looking to hire a full-time physician as well.
“We have grown so much, even in just one year,” she said.
That doesn't mean the work is getting any easier. In fact, there is still a lot to be done as the federal funds come in and the expansion begins.
Gray said she is ready for it.
“This has been the hardest work I've ever done,” Gray said. “But I have to say, I've lived my dream.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
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