Buffalo, NY, May 17, 2002 - To ensure easy access to primary medical care for patients affected by an upcoming consolidation of its ambulatory care sites, Kaleida Health will offer "Kaleida Care-A-Van" - free door-to-door transportation service for patients affected by the consolidation.

Kaleida Care-A-Van was introduced today at a press conference at Columbus Community Health Center, 300 Niagara St. The van service will take patients in need of transportation from their homes to other Kaleida primary care centers and back to their homes as needed.

Kaleida Care-A-Van is a 12-passenger van equipped to transport ambulatory patients. Patients with physical handicaps are transported under existing agreements with local van services.

Effective June 30, Kaleida will close its ambulatory clinic sites at the Upper West Side Family Health Center, 135 Grant St., and at Lancaster Primary Medicine, 4711 Transit Road, Depew. Physicians from Upper West Side Family Health will move their services to the Niagara Family Health Center, located at Columbus. Most physicians from Lancaster Primary Medicine will enter private practice.

"We are pleased to be able to provide this continuity of care for our patients. While it is never easy to close any health care site, consolidation of our ambulatory sites is necessary as we address our financial challenges, streamline our system and make it more efficient," according to William D. McGuire, Kaleida Health president and chief executive officer.

Patients at Niagara Family Health will have access to additional health care services that are not available at the Grant Street site, including dental care, mammography, physical therapy, x-rays, parenting classes, and diabetes and asthma clinics.

Communication is ongoing with patients to present all their options and ensure a seamless continuum of care through the transition process, Kaleida officials have noted.

"I believe this plan not only addresses the problem of access for these clients, but actually improves it by the fact that many of these clients will now have access to additional services at Columbus Community Health Center which were not offered at Upper West Side Family Health Center. I have and will continue to work to improve access to quality health care for all of our region's citizens," said New York State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, who participated in today's announcement.