NYS OPWDD Announces $2.3 Million Award to Long Island Select Heal...

Long Island Select Healthcare’s “Eastern Suffolk Integrated Healthcare Access Expansion" is the third largest award from Governor Hochul’s $25 million Executive Budget investment in 30 providers for innovative solutions that achieve health equity for people with developmental disabilities statewide

The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities today announced that Long Island Select Healthcare is the third largest recipient of $2.3 million from Governor Hochul’s $25 million dollar 2025-2026 Executive Budget investment to improve access to healthcare for people with developmental disabilities. This critical funding is intended to help address health equity for people with developmental disabilities who often find it difficult to find comprehensive healthcare that meets their needs. The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) prioritized awards based on projects related to expanding access to dental care, improving physical diagnostic space to better accommodate wheelchairs, creating sensory-friendly areas for neurodiverse patients, and improving access to specialty physical health services in ‘healthcare deserts.’ 

Long Island Select Healthcare’s project, “Eastern Suffolk Integrated Healthcare Access Expansion," will use the funding to complete an expansion of their clinic, including essential patient care areas, treatment rooms for primary care providers, and construction of five fully equipped dental exam rooms. Upgrades to equipment include new dental and medical chairs, a 2D Pan x-ray unit, and other essential patient care needs. 

New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Willow Baer said, “For too long, people with developmental disabilities have not had the same access to preventative health care that all New Yorkers experience. Long Island Select Healthcare is addressing this health equity gap with essential upgrades that will allow people to receive dental care in a setting that will put them at ease, under a professional who understands their needs.”

Dental clinics, Article 16 clinics and Article 28 clinics, including Diagnostic and Treatment Centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Centers, and Free-standing hospital extension clinics (off-campus sites), were eligible to apply to OPWDD’s Request for Applications. Applicants were able to propose capital projects that improve both access to and the quality of physical health care services (e.g., medical, dental, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology). 

Long Island Select Healthcare CEO Aaron Clark said, “Long Island Select Healthcare's Eastern Suffolk Integrated Healthcare Access Expansion is structured in two coordinated phases. Phase 1, already underway and funded through Long Island Select Healthcare's own committed capital, covers the foundational renovations at our Riverhead site, including base building improvements, mechanical and electrical upgrades, and general fit-out to bring the existing footprint to operational readiness, with completion targeted for fall 2026.” 

Clark continued, ”Phase 2, the grant-funded scope, will be carried out across OPWDD's four budget categories of scoping and pre-development, design, acquisition, and construction, and includes the build-out and equipping of medical and dental treatment rooms sized for specialized patient equipment, patient lifts, bariatric-capable and wheelchair-accessible chairs, sensory-friendly waiting and exam areas, widened doorways and accessible bathrooms, and the specialty equipment needed to safely serve patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Phase 2 also funds the acquisition and outfitting of a new mobile healthcare unit that will deliver primary care and dental services directly into group homes, day habilitation programs, and underserved communities across all of Suffolk County, reaching populations where limited public transit and healthcare deserts have long restricted access for people with developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Together, the two phases are anticipated to be fully implemented by late 2026 to early 2027 and will significantly expand the number of individuals with developmental disabilities served annually by Long Island Select Healthcare across Long Island.”