A new health clinic geared towards teens and young adults opened at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull on Thursday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined NYC Health + Hospitals and MetroPlusHealth officials to announce the launch of the clinic, which will provide comprehensive healthcare to young people ages 16- to 25-years-old. Another clinic will be located in Queens.
Supported by $4 million from MetroPlusHealth, the Elevate You clinic will aim to keep youth engaged in care as they age out of pediatric care, reduce emergency room visits, and improve long-term health outcomes, officials said.
“Access to consistent, high-quality health care is not optional—it’s essential, and our city is showing that," Mamdani said in a statement. "These new youth clinics will support young people as they move into adulthood and are just one example of a city government that is on their side, every step of the way.”
Nearly 90% of youth stop seeing their mental health provider after they turn 21, according to MetroPlusHealth claims data. The new clinic will provide behavioral health care, primary care, reproductive care, vocational support, and social support services from a consistent care team. The program’s
Key components of the clinic include:
• Whole Health Support: Services include coordination for mental health, physical health, reproductive care, and preventive services tailored to youth.
• Consistent Care Teams: Teens begin working with a dedicated team at age 16 that stays with them through age 25.
• Life Skills and Goals: Vocational and educational resources to help youth pursue college, careers, and independence.
• Youth-Friendly Clinics: Spaces have been updated to create welcoming environments with hangout areas and meeting rooms designed especially for young adults.
“The transition to adulthood can be challenging for anyone, and we found our teenage patients disconnecting from behavioral health services as they aged out of pediatric care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD.
NYC Health + Hospitals serves approximately 8,000 children and adolescents each year through inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services at its hospitals, community mental health clinics, and innovative mental health programs in schools and in the community.
The new clinic will provide connection and stability for the city's youth, said Talya Schwartz, MD, president and chief executive officer of MetroPlusHealth.
"As a mother, pediatrician, and leader, I am honored to be part of an initiative that stands beside our children as they grow," she said.
