Jennings and Breslin to Help Cut Ribbon Today at New Planned Parenthood Facility

Event Scheduled for 5pm at 855 Central Avenue

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ALBANY, NY (11/18/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Senator Breslin and Albany Mayor Jennings will join Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood President/CEO Patricia McGeown in cutting the ribbon at the new UHPP Albany health center and administrative offices at 855 Central Avenue. An Open House for supporters, collaborative community partners, political leaders and those involved in the move is being held from 4:30 to 6:00pm today, November 18. The actual ribbon cutting will occur at 5:00pm.

The new facility occupies 18,000 square feet of completely renovated space, increasing the agency's capacity by 50%. While UHPP provided medical services to over 13, 000 patients a year at its former location on Lark Street , a study by the Alan Guttmacher Foundation reported that an additional 12,000 women living in Albany are in need of free or low cost contraceptive services. The new center will allow UHPP to increase the number of family planning visits and the number of screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The new center includes spacious, comfortable reception areas and private recovery spaces. It also includes a new dedicated "Teen Room" and a large meeting room, which can be broken down into three smaller rooms, and will be available for use by other community organizations. The center's safe building entrance, located on private property, has increased parking and is located on a bus route which will provide safety for patients, staff and volunteers.

Mary Kahl, a past Chair of the UHPP Board of Directors and the author of a book on the agency's history entitled From Courage to Controversy; From 1934 to 2004 notes that the agency has made many moves over its long history, each time looking to grow and adopt to a changing health care environment and ever increasing community need. "Historically, when Planned Parenthood in Albany moved from its original South End center to Lark Street in 1964 - just down the street from here - the effect was transformational. It put Planned Parenthood in the mainstream and dramatically increased our patient base. The move to this building in 1977 provided more space and allowed us to add more services, but after about 35 years here, once more the demand for services has outgrown our physical plant.

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Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP) is a community-based non-profit organization providing advocacy, education and medical services for reproductive health care since 1934. In 2009, over 14,000 patients made 24,975 visits to UHPP health centers located in Albany, Hudson and Troy. UHPP health educators present over 300 education programs reaching over 5,000 youth and young adults. UHPP services are delivered with special concern for the underserved.