Public Notice

Investment Provided by New York Ventures  Empire State Development (ESD) today announced a $700,000 investment in Yuvo Health, a leading technology-enabled administrative and managed-care solution for community health centers. The company was launched in early 2021 and provides administrative and managed-care contracting services to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in the greater New York area and other key markets, nationwide.  A total of $7.3 million in funding was raised to date, led by early-stage venture fund AlleyCorp, and with participation from institutional investors including AV8 Ventures and Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. The $700,000 investment comes from the New York State Innovation Venture Capital Fund (NYSIVCF).   Empire State Development Acting Commissioner and President and CEO-designate Hope Knight said, “Through NY Ventures, ESD is constantly looking to invest in innovative New York State companies that work to enhance our quality of life and for this reason, we are excited to partner with Yuvo Health. By providing administrative and managed-care contracting services for Federally Qualified Health Centers, these FQHCs can continue to focus on what is most important – the health outcomes of our most underserved communities.”  “We are delighted on many levels to announce this seed investment, but especially because it validates the critical role that FQHCs play in low-income communities, empowering us to offer increased support and access to care where it’s needed most,” said Cesar Herrera, CEO and co-founder of Yuvo Health, who will be hosting informational webinars for FQHCs throughout January. “It's incredibly exciting to partner with industry leaders such as New York Ventures who are highlighting the importance of health equity and access for all New Yorkers.”  Heightened by COVID, there are now more than 7 million New York residents enrolled in Medicaid, up from 6 million pre-pandemic and New York State’s FQHCs play a critical role in supporting this growing population along with those who are uninsured. FQHCs time and again show better clinical and cost outcomes than their private practice peers, and according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, they see a 98% customer satisfaction rate.   About Yuvo Health:  Founded in New York City, Yuvo Health launched in January 2021 by a fully BIPOC founding team that has seen firsthand the power of quality care for underserved communities. The innovative startup is an industry-leading solution for providing administrative and managed-care contracting services to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Institutional investors include AlleyCorp, AV8 Ventures, New York Ventures, and Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, and angel investors such as Melynda Barnes, Ro’s Chief Medical Officer.With Yuvo, our nation's FQHCs gain the peace of mind to focus on what they do best: provide quality care to communities in need. Our FQHC partners are able to unlock revenue streams via value-based care without the daunting investment and operating burden. Currently serving the downstate New York market, the company plans to expand across New York, the Midwest, and the Mid-Atlantic regions. To learn more about the company, visit yuvohealth.com, email [email protected], and follow them on LinkedIn.  About New York Ventures  New York Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of Empire State Development, New York State’s chief economic development agency. New York Ventures meets the critical capital needs of the state’s innovation economy by providing funding to high-growth startups as they move from concept to commercialization, through early growth and expansion. More information about the fund is available here.   About Empire State Development  Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing the State’s Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, please visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.  Contact: Kristin Devoe | [email protected] | (518) 414-1087 Press Office | [email protected] | (800) 260-7313

State to Work with Residents, Community Leaders and Public Officials to Revitalize Downtown Areas Downtown Revitalization Investments Are Crucial Part of the State's Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that Amityville and Riverhead will receive $10 million each in funding as the Long Island region winners of the fifth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). As part of DRI Round 5, each of the state's 10 regional economic development regions are being awarded $20 million, to make for a total state commitment of $200 million in funding and investments to help communities boost their post COVID-19 economies by transforming downtowns into vibrant neighborhoods. "Ensuring local communities have the resources they need to thrive is critical to New York's economic resurgence," Governor Hochul said. "Amityville and Riverhead both play important roles in the overall economic health of Long Island and I have no doubt that with this this funding, they won't only recover from the impacts of COVID-19, but will flourish in the long term." Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin said, "After a competitive awards process with dozens of applicants, I want to congratulate Amityville and Riverhead for winning $20 million as part of the fifth round of the state's transformative Downtown Revitalization Initiative. As we continue to build back from the COVID pandemic, this investment is going to provide a significant boost to the local economy, attract tourists and regional visitors, create jobs and improve quality of life for residents on Long Island."   Led by the Department of State, the DRI serves as a cornerstone of the State's economic development policy by transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers of activity that offer a high quality of life and attract redevelopment, businesses, jobs, and economic and housing diversity.  In this round, Governor Hochul doubled funding from $100 million to $200 million and allowed each Regional Economic Development Council to decide whether to nominate two $10 million awardees or one $20 million awardee for transformative and catalytic downtown redevelopment projects. Like past DRI rounds, each selected community will develop a strategic plan through a bottom-up, community-based planning process that articulates a vision for the revitalization of its downtown and identifies a list of signature projects that have the potential to transform the downtown and leverage further private and public investments. DRI funds will then be awarded for selected projects that have the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community's vision for the downtown. Read the full press release here. 

North Country Welcomes Elite Collegiate Winter Sports Athletes for the first time since 1972 Public Invited to Take Part in Activities Celebrating One-Year from Winter Edition of World University Games Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the official kick-off to the One-Year Out Celebration for the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games. The winter edition of the 11-day cultural exchange and sporting event returns to the United States and Lake Placid January 12-22, 2023, after a 50-year absence. “New York is proud to welcome the 2023 FISU World University Games to Lake Placid and showcase all we have to offer for the rest of the world,” Governor Hochul said. “By hosting these games in our backyard, fans and visitors will not only have the opportunity to experience the majestic beauty of the Adirondacks, but enjoy competition featuring some of the best athletes the world’s universities have to offer.” In March 2018, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) formally announced that Lake Placid and the North Country region would host the 31st edition of the Winter World University Games. The Games are the 2nd largest multi-sport winter event in the world, after the Winter Olympics, for collegiate-athletes between the ages of 17 and 25. Next January’s event is expected to draw as many as 1,600 athletes from 50 nations and 600 universities to compete in 12 sports and 86 events, with an equal number of women's and men's medals. The Games will also attract thousands of winter sports enthusiasts and fans to Lake Placid and surrounding North Country communities, including Canton, North Creek, Potsdam, Saranac Lake and Wilmington, as these elite athletes vie for medals in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle & freeski, men's and women's ice hockey, Nordic combined, short track speed skating, ski jumping, snowboarding and speed skating (long track). Read the full press release here.