Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell (D-Theresa) expressed her disappointment with the announcement that the North Country Children's Clinic would close.
" I am troubled that the clinic is having to close its doors. I have worked with the clinic to address slow payments from the state and share their frustration," Russell stated. "There is additional funding that has been earmarked for the Children's Clinic, but it has taken over six months for the NYS Department of Health to acknowledge the funding," Russell explained. "Now that the health department has agreed there is money to help the clinic with its financial needs, the department has informed us that it must go through additional reviews in the department and then reviews by the executive," she continued.
The North Country Children's Clinic is an essential healthcare provider in the region, and also runs important programs, including WIC, which has been impacted by the federal government shut down.
"The clinic and its staff have worked extremely hard to become a sustainable organization, winning key certification to provide services to adults, and with that being approved for higher reimbursement rates for all of their services," Russell noted. "I will be meeting with clinic staff to ensure they re-open as soon as possible," she concluded.
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