DePaul and the Health Association merge organizations

DePaul and the Health Association have agreed to merge the two organizations that have collectively been serving people in need in the community for over 130 years. DePaul is a private not-for-profit agency founded in 1958 that provides residential and treatment services to the elderly, persons with a mental illness, and those with a history of homelessness. Established in 1917, the Health Association is a not-for-profit organization that provides addiction, prevention and treatment programs; services for deaf and hard of hearing persons, those with HIV/AIDS, persons with mental illness and persons with developmental disabilities; an employee assistance program, and LIFELINE.

"Together, we are committed to exploring opportunities to better serve our community while maintaining a commitment to quality of care and service delivery," said Mark H. Fuller, President. "The Health Association's major focus is on providing innovative solutions to life's problems through both individual and systems-oriented programs. DePaul assists individuals in achieving their optimum level of independence and success in the environment of their choice, while remaining sensitive to assessed community needs and available resources. Merging our organizations will allow us to provide an enhanced spectrum of care by drawing on both agencies areas of expertise."

According to Richard Briggs, Vice President and Director of the Health Association, "Both DePaul and the Health Association are committed to serving the most needy populations in the community. The affiliation offers an opportunity to enhance some services, while sharing resources, expertise, and optimizing economics of scale. We will remain dedicated to community education, information and referral, crisis intervention, advocacy and providing care to people who are not served or are underserved by others in the health care system."

DePaul serves nearly 4,000 people annually at sites in Western New York and in North Carolina and has programs certified by the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of Mental Health. The Health Association reached 546,295 people in 2003 at sites in Monroe and surrounding counties, and has programs certified by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities.