The University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB)
Also known as State University Hospital and "Downstate", this academic medical center consists of a 354-bed tertiary care hospital and a multi-specialty outpatient area where the Family Practice Center is located. Residents rotate through both in-patient and outpatient services here. The close proximity of specialty clinics, radiology imaging, and laboratory facilities allow for convenient and rapid consultation on Family Practice patients.

UHB serves a vulnerable low income, largely minority population with significantly higher levels of morbidity and mortality than many other areas of the state. The high quality, specialized health services provided for minority patients are critical for this community.

Focus on Minority Health
The statistics show that roughly 25% of all open heart procedures performed on African-American or Hispanic patients in New York State have been at UHB; 50% of UHB's angioplasty patients are African-Americans, compared to less than 10% at most of New York hospitals; 59% of UHB's kidney transplant recipients are African-American and 23% are Hispanic.
Between 1997 and 1999, Asthma visits for minority adults increased 238%; and during that same two-year period, pediatric Asthma visits increased by 147%. More than 80% of Asthma patients at UHB are African-American.
The hospital serves a 'catchment' area with a population of 629,444 in central Brooklyn; where 72% of residents are black, 17% are Hispanic. Per capita income in the area was just $13,221 in 1997. Approximately one in five residents receives some welfare aid, and one in three is eligible for Medicaid.

UHB Runs Free Clinic
Among the many services UHB provides in this Central Brooklyn area is a free health clinic at the Wingate High School - one of the first school-based clinics in New York City to offer comprehensive care to students. The clinic provides complete physical evaluations and immunizations; it screens for Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases and makes referrals to Mental Health services. Recently, Dental and Vision services were added.

UHB's Breast and Cervical Cancer Program at King's County Hospital Center (KCHC), begun in 1988, has the highest follow up rate in New York State: 90%. Due to the program's aggressive health education campaign, three-quarters of the cancer detected is in an early stage. When the program first began three quarters of the women presented with late-stage cancer.
UHB established a clinic for Pediatric A.I.D.S. back in 1982; it now treats one in fifteen cases of pediatric A.I.D.S. nationwide. UHB also houses the only Brooklyn HIV clinic specifically for adolescents.

State University of New York - Health Science Center at Brooklyn (SUNY-HSCB)
The Medical School (Downstate Medical Center)

One of the largest medical schools in the country, it is physically connected to UHB. It provides library and research resources for the entire medical center and is the site of the Department of Family Practice office. Medical students from here are linked with the Family Practice residents as part of their Ambulatory Care course, and may take Family Practice electives in any year.

The close proximity of KCHC to the Family Practice Center enables residents to attend their continuity care sessions and conferences at the center without loss of valuable time in transit.