The Beneficiary

About Open Door Family Medical Centers

Open Door's story is one of inspiring success. For over 35 years, Open Door has been caring for Westchester's most vulnerable residents. What began in 1972 as a free clinic in the basement of the First Baptist Church in Ossining has evolved into a multi-site, federally qualified health center.

Through its four community health centers in Ossining, Port Chester, Sleepy Hollow and Mt. Kisco and four school-based health centers in Port Chester, Open Door serves as the medical home to over 36,000 individuals in Westchester County. It is a community-based nonprofit organization meeting the health care needs of the uninsured and under-insured across Westchester County.

The mission of Open Door is to provide quality health care and human services at affordable prices to the community, particularly the economically disadvantaged.

With 233 clinical and administrative staff members, it is one of the largest community health centers in the region. Open Door's services include: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women's Health, Dental, Optometry, Podiatry, Behavioral Health, Chronic Disease and Case Management Services, HIV/AIDS Testing and Treatment, Nutritional Counseling, Outreach and Health Education.

Open Door is not a free clinic. Every patient is required to pay for a portion of their health care. Like any other doctor's office, Open Door bills insurance providers for those patients who have insurance. Uninsured patients must pay a fee based on a pre-determined, government approved sliding scale that adjusts according to income and family size.

Open Door's patients are largely Westchester's working poor. Forty percent of the patients are children and over 71% are at or below the Federal Poverty Level, earning an income below $21,200 for a family of four. It is no surprise that many lack health insurance coverage. In fact, nearly 50% of Open Door's patients are uninsured.

When there are uninsured people in our communities, everyone suffers. If one member of a family is uninsured, has an accident, a hospital stay, or a costly medical treatment, the resulting bills can destroy an entire family's economic stability. When the uninsured delay seeking care, the cost of care and health risks increase, leaving the community exposed and needing to foot the bill.

Open Door serves as a critical safety net for these individuals and others, ensuring that everyone, regardless of his/her ability to pay, has a medical home and receives appropriate medical care. This, in turn guarantees a healthy, productive and vibrant community.

The high quality of care provided at Open Door is assured through its residency trained and board certified physicians, its rigorous quality improvement program and its electronic medical record system. Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JACHO) ensures that Open Door adheres to the highest standards of patient safety.

Funding for the federally qualified community health center comes from local, state and federal grants as well as private foundations and individuals.