Access to Care

Accessing preventative, continuous and coordinated healthcare is vital to staying healthy, improving wellness and achieving good health outcomes. The patient-centered medical home is a model of care that seeks to strengthen the physician-patient relationship by replacing episodic care based on acute patient illnesses with coordinated care and a long-term healing relationship.

But patients can encounter many difficulties in accessing a medical home. There are multiple barriers including geography, time restrictions and cost - just to name a few. Does your primary care physician take your health insurance? What about the specialist he or she referred you to? Are they accepting new patients and if so, how long do you have to wait to get an appointment? Are your doctors located at an address you can access? Can you pay for the health insurance or pay out of pocket for the care you need?

These are all real concerns that make navigating the healthcare system and finding a medical home a daunting process. Catholic Health Services of Long Island has six hospitals, three nursing homes, hospice, home care, rehabilitation services and a large network of ambulatory care services. There are over 3,300 credentialed physicians in Nassau and Suffolk Counties who support the quality care our patients are accustomed to receiving in whatever venue they access our services. The CHS system provides an abundance of education and support groups, provides free health screenings through our Healthy Sundays program and health fairs and other programs to help you access care and find a medical home. This section provides you with information on how to access care in our facilities as well as how to access other healthcare resources in the community. Be sure to also check out our ever-growing list of frequently asked questions about how to access care.