“Premier HealthCare is a blessing,” said Ingrid, whose young son Orion, has autism.

Like many parents of individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, Ingrid has struggled to find a place where Orion could receive high quality medical and dental treatment from sensitive, skilled professionals. When she found Premier HealthCare (Premier), a member of the YAI Network, her search was over. 

Recently, Ingrid and Orion joined a celebration as Premier marked a major milestone -- its 1 millionth patient visit. Families, patients, partners and supporters gathered at Premier’s Manhattan practice for festivities. “To see how many people are being helped by Premier HealthCare is exciting,” Ingrid said.

Leaders in the health care field, Premier HealthCare staff and patients received personal tours of the Manhattan practice and got the opportunity to share their feelings about what makes Premier so unique. 

“We started with three little rooms and a mobile dental unit,” recalled Dr. David Kaufman, Premier’s Medical Director Emeritus. “It shows you that there was a need and a vision of how wonderful Premier HealthCare could become.”

However, that vision, 14 years and 1 million patient visits later, would not have been possible without the help of Premier’s partners in care. Today, there are five practices throughout New York City.

“Partnership is an essential ingredient for our success in providing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with top quality health care,” said Marco Damiani, Senior Director of Clinical and Family Services at the YAI Network, in his welcoming remarks to guests. “As I look around the room, I see many friends who have, over the years, believed in and supported our mission. Thank you for helping us to build healthier futures for people with disabilities.”

“It truly takes a community -- a community of great staff and great friends,” said Dr. Peter Della Bella, Medical Director of Premier.

“I want to congratulate YAI and Premier HealthCare for creating a model for New York care,” said William Lopez, Assistant Commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. ”There wasn’t a system before, and now, look — you’ve got 1 million patient visits! My office gets calls asking where to go and I say, 'Which borough? YAI!’”

“Our motto is ‘help health happen,’ and there’s no better place to help health happen than at Premier HealthCare,” said Steve Kess, Vice President of Global Professional Relations at Henry Schein, Inc., the largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners, whose partnership has enabled Premier to enhance its services to Bronx residents.

"You have a really fine model of care — it’s the way in which you care and the values with which you care,” said Rhonda Kotelchuck, Executive Director of the Primary Care Development Corporation, which has been pivotal in helping to fund Premier’s expansion over the years. “This is an era where everyone is concerned with health care costs and Premier HealthCare presents an interesting model that deserves national attention. You’re the group that spends money the right way and makes it count.” 

“To me, the marker of a successful program is if people stick around — and our Clinical Fellows have stayed on with Premier HealthCare, after completing their joint fellowship with Mount Sinai and Premier HealthCare” said Dr. Alex Kolevzon, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Seaver Center for Autism Research and Treatment.

Premier’s commitment to providing the best available services to people with developmental disabilities and their families has earned it an unparalleled reputation and designation as a Level 2 Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This honor carries with it the distinction of being the only medical practice serving people with disabilities in New York City with this prestigious designation.

As proud as Premier administrators, medical professionals and staff are of this outstanding accomplishment, one of the most important ways that they measure their success is through the feedback of the people they serve. A highlight of the millionth patient celebration was hearing from several Premier patients whose lives have been enhanced by the services they have received.

For Dara, who has been coming to Premier HealthCare since 1996 and was Dr. Della Bella’s first patient, her visits to Premier have had a remarkable impact on her life — not just through the services she has received, but through the bonds she has made.

“I remember when I first started seeing Dr. Della Bella, I was depressed and I needed help. I’ve come a long way since then,” said Dara. “Dr. Della Bella is not just a doctor to me. He listens, he understands. I look up to him.”

The same is true for Margaret, whose son, Mark, is a longtime Premier patient.

“When I think back and remember life before Premier HealthCare, I remember it wasn’t easy,” said Margaret. “What we found was a place where we were welcomed. Mark could act any way and he’d be welcomed and accepted. We’ve used virtually every specialty service Premier has offered. It’s a wonderful practice and families benefit from it in a way we never imagined before.”