In Queens, access to basic health care is not as simple as it should be.
Primary care is the foundation of a healthy community. It is where patients go for routine checkups, preventive screenings and ongoing management of chronic conditions. It is also where providers build trust with patients and address the full range of factors that impact health.
But across Queens, access to that care is uneven – and in too many neighborhoods, it is falling short.
Queens has more neighborhoods with inadequate primary care provider availability than any other borough in New York City. That reality is playing out in communities like Jamaica and the Rockaways, where patients face real and measurable gaps in access to care.
In Jamaica, one in five emergency department visits are potentially preventable, compared to one in eight (13%) across New York State. That means more residents are turning to hospitals for care that could have been provided earlier and more effectively in a primary care setting.
In the Rockaways, 24% of residents report not having a usual source of care, compared to 14% statewide. This also highlights a significant access gap in primary care compared to the rest of the state.
These gaps have consequences.
Residents in these neighborhoods also experience higher rates of chronic disease risk factors. Without consistent access to primary care, these conditions are more likely to go unmanaged, leading to serious complications over time.
As we know, Queens is one of the most diverse in our city, with approximately 75% of residents identifying as Black, Latino or Asian. Limited access to preventive care does not just affect individual health. It reinforces longstanding disparities in health outcomes.
Community health centers like ours play a critical role in expanding access, delivering culturally competent care and addressing both medical and social needs.
But we cannot do it alone and primary care has been underfunded for too long. Despite being the front line of our health care system, it receives only a small share of total health care spending, even as demand continues to grow.
The result is a system where patients struggle to access timely care, providers are stretched thin and preventable health issues become more serious – and more costly – over time.
The Primary Care Investment Act is moving through the state legislature and offers a clear path forward.
By requiring health plans to dedicate at least 12.5% of health care spending to primary care, this legislation would help strengthen the workforce, expand access and ensure that more resources are directed to the care that keeps people healthy.
For Queens, this means more providers in underserved neighborhoods, better access to preventive services and stronger support for community health centers that serve as a lifeline for so many residents. It means that more people have a consistent place to turn for care before their health concerns become emergencies.
Queens is one of the most diverse and dynamic boroughs in the country. Our health care system should reflect that strength by ensuring that every resident can access high-quality primary care, regardless of their ZIP code.
The need is clear. The evidence is there.
Now, we need action.
The Primary Care Investment Act is not just good policy – it is a necessary step toward a healthier, more equitable future.
Renee Hastick-Motes is CEO of the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).