Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) and Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) have announced the COVID-19 Community Health Care Resiliency Fund to help community health centers restore, sustain, and enhance operations. The $10 million fund will provide flexible, low-cost working capital loans and customized technical assistance to Empire State health centers. Applications are accepted at https://www.pcdc.org/resiliencyfund from October 1 to 30, 2020.
Launched with the support of New York-based grantmakers, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), and the national Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) and Google Grow with Google Small Business Fund, the new fund will enable health centers to make the investments and operational enhancements needed to serve their communities through the COVID-19 crisis and recovery.
“Community health centers need immediate capital financing and technical assistance as COVID-19 has exacerbated health disparities for the most underserved and increased challenges to delivering vital primary care services,” said Anne Dyjak, PCDC’s Managing Director for Capital Investments. “Primary Care Development Corporation is pleased to create the COVID-19 Community Health Care Resiliency Fund with CHCANYS and thanks our partners for their invaluable support to help community health centers through the next stages of the pandemic.”
“Community health centers are located in the communities hit hardest by COVID-19 and are struggling to survive a financial crisis created by the global pandemic. Meantime, they continue to treat anyone who walks through their doors, regardless of insurance coverage, immigration status, or ability to pay.” said Rose Duhan, CHCANYS President and CEO. “We are proud to work with PCDC and their partners to make these funds available to New York’s health centers at a time when funding is so desperately needed.”
Funding for the COVID-19 Community Health Care Resiliency Fund included capital from PCDC, the CDFI Fund, Robin Hood, and OFN and Google’s Grow with Google Small Business Fund. Support for the fund’s training and technical assistance is made possible with grants from the Altman Foundation, Robin Hood, and The New York Community Trust.
Eligible uses for the fund include expenses to recruit and train furloughed staff in new delivery methods, redesign patient flow and facilities to accommodate new protocols, implement technology to support telehealth, provide personal protective equipment (PPE), and other COVID-19 related investments. Customized technical assistance topic areas include managing a practice during the pandemic, financial readiness and strategy to reopen, testing and ensuring a safe environment, and guidance to soft launch.
Visit https://www.pcdc.org/resiliencyfund for additional eligibility information and details.