New York State’s nonprofit health centers as a whole are in financial distress, according to this report, “Health Center Financial Check-Up: Prescriptions for Strengthening New York’s Diagnostic and Treatment Centers,” supported by NYHealth. The report, prepared by the Primary Care Development Corporation, analyzed seven years of financial data from 95 nonprofit diagnostic and treatment centers, and found that 43% lost money in all or most years, and margins fell from 2.28% in 2001 to 0.56% in 2007. On average, the health centers, which serve some 1.5 million mostly low-income New York State residents, were only one payroll away from full-scale financial distress.

The report also identifies opportunities for State government, health care payers, philanthropic organizations, and health centers themselves to build stronger, more sustainable health centers that will better serve a rapidly growing patient population.