On October 14, the Dolan Family Health Center celebrated 10 years of providing high quality primary care to the medically indigent of Huntington Township. In an era of shrinking government reimbursements and scarce funding for healthcare, the fact that the Dolan Center has managed to fulfill its charitable mission with a level of excellence that is unparalleled made the anniversary celebration especially meaningful.

A BRIEF HISTORY
In the mid-1980s, members of the Township’s business, civic, and notfor- profit sectors formed a group known as The Roundtable. Their focus was on the lack of affordable, accessible primary healthcare services for uninsured and underinsured town residents. The Suffolk County Department of Health operated health centers in various towns around the county, but none were easily accessible to Huntington residents, particularly the poor or those who lacked access to transportation. This group of concerned citizens approached Huntington Hospital’s Board of Directors, proposing that the hospital build and run a community health center. The hospital’s leadership agreed. A $5.5 million capital fundraising campaign – at that point the largest in Huntington Hospital’s history – was launched, and the hospital purchased and renovated the building on Pulaski Road in Greenlawn which would become the DFHC.The Center was named in honor of the Dolan Family Foundation, which made a significant one-time contribution to the campaign.

The DFHC is Long Island’s only privately owned, charitably supported primary care health center. Its dedicated staff of 57 employees including physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, social workers, and clerical workers, provide culturally sensitive, high quality primary care in adult medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.

A TIME TO LOOK BACK AND AHEAD
At a special ceremony held at the DFHC to mark its ten years of service, Administrator Terence Smith introduced many key individuals who played an instrumental role in establishing the DFHC. Community Advisory Board Co-Chairs Dolores Thompson and Tom Lederer both spoke of the commitment of hospital and community leaders that helped launch the project. Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone hailed the DFHC’s existence as a contributing factor in the Township’s “All America City” designation. Recently retired hospital President and CEO J. Ronald Gaudreault lauded the hospital’s Board of Trustees who pledged to financially support the DFHC’s annual operating deficits, which result from its mission to provide free or reduced rate care to those who cannot afford to pay. Special tributes to the late Charles Gay, former Board Chairman and staunch advocate for the establishment of the DFHC, were made.

Other speakers included Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper, hospital Board Chairman Anthony Giaccone, community activitist Arthur Goldstein, former hospital VP of Medical Affairs Bernard Rosof, MD, current VP of Medical Affairs Michael Grosso, MD and DFHC Medical Director Louis Verardo, MD. Kevin Lawlor, hospital President and CEO, made the closing remarks of the evening. “My goal is for all of us to be together ten years from now celebrating the Dolan Center’s next ten years of accomplishments,” he said.