New York Medical College (NYMC) and Union Community Health Center (UNION) in the Bronx, New York, are partnering to establish a clinical and allied health profession training program at UNION to provide students with clinical and public health policy experience during required and elective rotations in the fields of medicine, public health, physical therapy and speech-language pathology. There will also be additional opportunities for biomedical, clinical, translational and public health research activities.
The academic affiliation agreement will enhance the training and education of future primary care providers and health professionals and address workforce shortages and challenges faced by underserved communities by providing culturally competent training venues for the development of a culturally competent workforce. The agreement also covers fostering research opportunities regarding health care policy, biomedical science, financial, legal/regulatory and social elements pertaining to these communities.
“New York Medical College and UNION share common culture and values centered on providing high quality, accessible medical care and education to everyone, with a specific focus on under resourced communities,” said Salomon Amar, D.D.S, Ph.D., vice president for research at NYMC and senior vice president for research affairs at Touro University. “Founded on common goals and interests, the affiliation will be beneficial to patients, students, health care providers, community members in the Bronx and in the promotion of translational and interdisciplinary research. We look forward to collaborating with our new partners at Union Community Health Center.”
“Serving the great borough of the Bronx in New York City for more than 110 years, UNION has experienced the clinical, financial and social elements of ever-changing communities’ needs and the learned understanding of needing to address the immediate social drivers of health,” said Douglas L. York, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of UNION. “Recognizing the increasingly complex health care needs of the Bronx community and the seriousness of the challenges at hand, enhanced academic, education and research partnerships capable of advancing the UNION mission of meeting these community needs are warranted. Developing and sustaining a partnership with NYMC, an anchor of medical education and research in the diverse NYC and surrounding region, accomplishes that goal. NYMC’s understanding of real-world hands-on training, and quality education with cultural relevancy, will further enhance the care UNION provides to patients and the community.”
Since 1909, UNION has been a cornerstone of the Bronx, serving all those in need of healthcare. Once a large community hospital, today UNION is one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in New York State providing health care services from six locations and mobile medical and dental units throughout the Bronx. UNION provides services to more than 38,000 unique patients, conducting nearly 200,000 patient care visits annually and offers comprehensive primary and specialty healthcare services, including adult and pediatrics, rapid care, physical and occupational therapy, behavioral health, dental services and other specialty services.
