HILLTOWNS — Since its opening on Dec. 2, Hilltown Healthcare, the sole medical provider in the Hilltowns, is operating smoothly, according to nurse practitioner Jill Martin, who opened the practice.

“Hilltown Healthcare opened on Dec. 2nd, the day of the big snow storm, but we did not allow a few feet of snow to stop us … ” Martin wrote in an email to The Enterprise. “The first week came with a few anticipated glitches which we worked through successfully.”

Nearly 400 patients have made Hilltown Healthcare their primary provider, Martin said, with 200 of those patients seen in the first month. The practice can accommodate 1,000 patients total.

“Currently, we are generating enough capital to cover the costs of staffing, rent, insurance, utilities, billing service, et cetera,” Martin wrote, “but at this point (as we projected) we are not able to cover the costs of the salary for the provider.

“However, with continued community support, we are anticipating a break-even cash flow within 90 days. We cannot stress enough the impact that each and every patient has on maintaining healthcare in the Hilltowns.

“Bottom line: We need your support.”

Nearly 2,000 patients were displaced after the Hilltowns’ prior practice, which was operated by Community Care Physicians, shut its doors in June because the only physician on staff resigned and, CCP said, could not be replaced. Community Care funnelled patients to Guilderland and the Slingerlands, where two of its more than 70 offices are located.

When Martin, who worked at the shuttered practice, took to the task of starting her own, she was told that the process could take up to 24 months. 

“But with perseverance and support,” Martin said, “we did it in only five months.”

A firm opening date for the new practice was announced in October, at the same time it was announced that Hannay Reels, a business in Westerlo that sells hose reels, made a $10,000 contribution to Hilltown Healthcare through the business’s Charitable Committee. 

The donation allowed the practice to accept patients whose insurance providers are not yet credentialed. To keep the practice solvent, those patients are charged a $50 fee, but this fee can be waived to accommodate those who can’t afford it, said Martin.

Martin listed the accepted insurances as CDPHP, MVP, Cigna, BSNENY, Empire BCBS, Aetna, Humana, United, and Medicare; and said that Medicaid, United Medicare/Medicaid, and Fidelis are expected to be credentialed “in the near future.”
“It has not been an easy road,” Martin said. “We are a community that is proud, we stand together and support one another and know the value of each and every person in our community.”

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Hilltown Healthcare is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. It is also open on Saturday from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The office’s foyer, where patients can fill out release forms for their medical records, is open 24/7.

Prospective and existing patients can call (518) 872-0009 to reach the office.