Congressman Brian Higgins tours TRC’s Primary Care Clinic

U.S. Representative Brian Higgins found time in his busy schedule to visit The Resource Center’s Carl Cappa Administration Building on February 22, meeting a number of employees and learning about the variety of Health and Health-Related Services that TRC offers to individuals with disabilities and the community at large.

Rep. Higgins spent much of his visit talking with Executive Director Paul Cesana; Clark Poppleton, Assistant Executive Director for Health and Diagnostic & Treatment Services; Steve Riczker, Director of Mental Health and Primary Care Services; and Dr. Saquib Ibrahim, Medical Director.

The Congressman was given a history of TRC’s Health Services, which were established to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities, who typically have complex medical issues, received quality health care. Over the years, those services were expanded to include members of the general public who had fallen through the cracks in the local health care system or who wanted to benefit from the expert care available from experienced physicians who, having honed their profession serving the varied needs of persons with disabilities, are adept at managing and treating their patients’ conditions.

Rep. Higgins was interested in learning about TRC’s Primary Care Clinic. Besides being open to the general public, since 1995 the clinic has served as a satellite outpatient clinic for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Western New York Healthcare System, eliminating the need for area veterans to have to travel to VA hospitals in Erie, PA, or Buffalo to receive routine medical care. TRC serves some 1,500 veterans and their family members.

Rep. Brian Higgins chats with Harold Olson, an area veteran who uses TRC’s VA Clinic. Harold told the Congressman how critical it is for local veterans to be able to access VA health care here at home, rather than having to travel to Erie County.


Upon learning that TRC’s current contract with the VA will soon expire, the Congressman offered his assistance in TRC’s efforts to renew its contract.

It was the Congressman’s second visit to The Resource Center: in the fall of 2006, he toured the newly renovated facility on Jones & Gifford Avenue and learned about the high volume of work that Allied Industries, TRC’s manufacturing and employment division, performs for the federal government.

Congressman Brian Higgins, third from right, poses with, from left, Clark Poppleton, Assistant Executive Director for Health and Diagnostic & Treatment Services; Amy Pease, Nurse Manager; Steve Riczker, Director of Mental Health and Primary Care Services; Dr. Saquib Ibrahim, Medical Director; and Executive Director Paul Cesana.

Comment

TRC's Health, Health-Related and Mental Health services are available to anyone in the community. Most insurances are accepted. For information or to make an appointment, phone (716) 483-2344.