AFTER SECURING $2 MILLION FOR BEACON FACILITY, CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN AND LOCAL LEADERS BREAK GROUND ON EXPANSION AT SUN RIVER HEALTH

After Securing $2 Million for Beacon Facility, Congressman Pat Ryan and Local Leaders Break Ground on Expansion at Sun River Health

In 2023, Congressman Ryan secured more than $2 million to fund critical service expansions at Sun River Health in Beacon

The expansion will allow Sun River Health to extend hours of operation, build a new 6-room urgent care center, and add two more primary care rooms

BEACON, NY - Today, Congressman Pat Ryan was joined by local leaders at Sun River Health in Beacon to begin construction on critical expansions to the facility, made possible by funding Ryan secured last Congress. The funding will allow Sun River Health to expand hours of operation, build a new 6-room urgent care center, add two primary care rooms, and increase space for behavioral health and patient navigation services. Ryan also discussed the urgent need, amidst negotiations on this year's government funding bill, to fully fund Community Health Centers- which have been operating off short term extensions since 2023 -nationwide.

"Everyone in our community deserves high-quality and affordable health care - the facility we're so excited to be breaking ground on today will help Hudson Valley families get the care they need at a cost they can afford," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "But the fight doesn't stop here. Sun River Health, as well as all of our Community Health Centers, play a unique and irreplaceable role in keeping our community healthy. Amidst catastrophic threats to Medicaid and increased uncertainty with funding for health centers nationwide, I will keep pushing relentlessly to stop the cuts and protect our community."

"Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Pat Ryan, this $2 million investment will transform how we care for the Beacon community," said Anne Kauffman Nolon, MPH, CEO of Sun River Health. "With a new six-room urgent care suite, more space for intake, and upgraded equipment throughout, we're expanding our ability to meet patients where they are-with timely, high-quality care when it matters most. This renovation is about more than expanding square footage-it's about expanding access, reducing wait times, and ensuring that every person who walks through our doors receives care with dignity. We're building a stronger Beacon, together."

"This investment in Sun River Health Beacon is truly an investment in the health of the entire Beacon community," said Dr. Leigh Rieper, Site Medical Director for Sun River Health Beacon."By expanding urgent care and increasing access to primary care services, we can catch issues earlier, manage chronic conditions more effectively, and provide the kind of timely, compassionate care that keeps people healthier and out of the hospital. Every improvement we're making supports better outcomes for our patients-and that's the heart of what we do at Sun River Health."

"Sun River Health knows how to care for people. The doctors and staff treat you with real respect, and that means everything to me," said Perry Iannaconi, a Sun River Health Beacon patient. "Congressman Ryan's support for Sun River Health Beacon means more of my neighbors will get the same great care that's helped me stay healthy. I'm excited for what's ahead-for Beacon, for Sun River Health, and for all the patients who count on this place. Thank you, Congressman, for believing in our care and our community."

"Sun River Health is a cornerstone of the Beacon community and southern Dutchess County," said Dutchess County Comptroller Dan Aymar-Blair."Our region is grateful to Congressman Ryan for recognizing and investing in the quality, compassionate care our neighbors need and deserve, and have come to expect from Sun River."

"Sun River Health provides high-quality health care for every person who walks into its door, no matter the patient's insurance status or ability to pay," said Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson. "This new facility will provide needed health care for Beacon and the Hudson Valley Region. I have supported the State's funding to Sun River in previous budgets. I applaud Congressman Ryan for securing $2 million in federal funding for the construction of this new facility."

"We are grateful to our Congressman Pat Ryan for securing funding for Sun River Health's Beacon Health Center," said Dutchess County Legislature Minority Leader Yvette Valdes Smith. "The Congressman knows how important local health centers are to ensure access to care for our communities. And, this investment in our community is very much needed right now."

Congressman Ryan is a strong supporter of Community Health Centers, which provide low or no-cost medical care to vulnerable individuals regardless of ability to pay. In 2023, he secured $2.8 million for Cornerstone Family Healthcare to renovate and modernize its primary care facility and construct a new urgent care center at its Middletown campus. In addition, he has consistently fought for robust federal funding for Community Health Centers to ensure that they remain providers of high-quality, cost-effective primary care.

Throughout his time in office, Congressman Ryan has always emphasized the importance of lowering costs and improving accessibility, specifically when it comes to health care. He supports landmark legislation which has already lowered the prices of ten of the most common high-cost pharmaceuticals, fought to lower premiums for 20 million Americans receiving healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and, most recently, has called out United Health for its exploitative practicesat Hudson Valley doctors offices.

Congressman Ryan is a cosponsor of the Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act, which would prohibit PBMs from charging Medicaid more than they paid pharmacies for a drug. He also co-leads the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, comprehensive legislation to require adequate reimbursements to pharmacists, prohibit PBMs from steering patients to their own pharmacies, and eliminate PBM restrictions on patient choice. Large portions of these bills were set to be included in the December government funding legislation until they were removed at the last minute.

Congressman Ryan also recently reintroduced the Stopping Pharma's Ripoffs and Drug Savings for All Act, as a part of his broader Affordability Agenda; the Congressman's first legislation of the 119th Congress which aims to lower costs across the board. The Stopping Pharma's Ripoffs Act would rein in Big Pharma's current abuse of U.S. patent law, and make it easier to produce less-costly generic drug alternatives.

Additionally, Congressman Ryan recently decried the Republican "continuing resolution," which passed in March and cut all community project funding like the one for Sun River for fiscal year 2025. In NY-18, fifteen critical projects aimed at supporting local law enforcement and firefighters, making sure kids have access to clean water and more were entirely cut by House Republicans. Congressman Ryan will be resubmitting the projects for funding next year.

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Issues: Government that Works for All