A volunteer group of medical professionals who meet to discuss issues like physician recruitment, improving collaboration to enhance health care services for area residents and how to curtail the community’s drug problem will not be disbanding.

On Thursday during a Health Care Action Team meeting, Dr. Lillian Ney, HCAT chairwoman, said the action team will be continuing on, but will need to find a new use of a $35,000 grant they received from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, which they have to do by July or they will need to return the funding.

In 2012, HCAT started working toward assisting medical organizations in recruiting physicians by offering an incentive grant. HCAT doesn’t recruit the physicians, but facilitates in helping to draw medical professionals to the community. HCAT secured money from several foundations including the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, and the Sheldon and Lenna foundations. The HCAT initiative was successful in bring eight physicians to this area.

However, with the merger of UPMC and WCA Hospital in 2016 and other advancements for area medical organizations, Ney said HCAT doesn’t need to put as much relevance on assisting the community with recruiting doctors as they did when the action team first was created. She suggested possibly using the funds to continue a one year grant Chautauqua Works’ Workforce Investment Board offers to area medical students.

Katie Geise, Workforce Investment Board executive director, said a lot of the scholarship recipients ask for additional years, but have to be turned down.

Linda Swanson, Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation executive director, suggested that the $35,000 grant be used for a new local medical student scholarship assistance program at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. Ney said no matter what they decided to do with the money, the focus should continue to be on bringing back to the area local medical students after they are done with their educational and residency requirements. She said the action team will continue to discuss possibilities at future meetings, with the next one scheduled for May 24.

In other HCAT business, Michael Pease, The Chautauqua Center director, said they will need to do a complete demolition of the former Artone building, which they purchased to be the new location for The Chautauqua Center in Jamestown. He said because of unforeseen structural flaws, they will no longer be just renovating the former factory, but will be building a completely new facility.

“We will be starting from scratch,” he said.

Pease said construction of the new facility, located at 107 Institute St., is scheduled to start in August. He said they are working with community partners to determine how many other organizations might want to be located at the new facility to determine the size of the building.

The Chautauqua Center operates a location at 319 Central Ave., Suite B, in Dunkirk and also has a temporary location at 110 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown.

For more information on The Chautauqua Center, go to thechautauquacenter.org or call 363-6050 or 484-4334.

HCAT, which is a subcommittee of the Jamestown Strategic Planning and Partnerships Commission, was formed to focus on the impact of health care on development in the community, as well as accessible, high-quality health care for residents. Partners on the team consist of City Council members; various foundations; UPMC Chautauqua WCA; Jamestown Area Medical Associates; The Resource Center; Jamestown Primary Care; Chautauqua County Health Network; The Chautauqua Center; Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County; Workforce Investment Board; SUNY Fredonia; Jamestown Community College Nursing Program; and Chautauqua County Health & Human Services and Mental Hygiene departments.