The Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) has identified marked disparities in primary care access in New York City, measured on a City Council District level.

By examining all 51 districts, the Primary Care Access Profiles provide a multidimensional view of gaps in access, help support advocacy for additional services, and inform siting of new primary care facilities. A citywide report is also available.

“Increasing primary care access across New York City, as in other major cities, creates healthy communities, ensures health equity, and reduces health care costs,” said Mary Ford, Director of Evaluation and Analytics. “For policymakers and community members alike, these profiles offer compelling snapshots of access on a localized basis.”

PCDC’s in-depth measures include primary care access (such as provider availability and health insurance coverage), health status (such as diabetes prevalence and heart disease mortality rates), and socioeconomic position (such as unemployment, poverty, and race and ethnicity).

Among the recommendations are working toward primary care parity for districts with low socioeconomic position; considering primary care provider-to-population ratio and other factors when siting primary care facilities; and encouraging reimbursement models that reward proven quality programs, such as Patient-Centered Medical Home.

Read the citywide profiles and/or District-specific reports here.