2021 marked the 40th anniversary of Hudson Headwaters Health Network. Our theme for this milestone anniversary, #FortyForward, was all about reflecting on the past while focusing on the future as we envisioned the next forty years of accessible health care.
In 1974, Dr. John Rugge began what would become Hudson Headwaters with a single health center in Chestertown, NY. The Network was officially incorporated in 1981. By 2021, Hudson Headwaters comprised 21 community-based primary care health centers, with a service area stretching from Saratoga to the Canadian border and covering more than 7,400 square miles.
Hudson Headwaters has always been about and for our communities. Any celebration of Hudson Headwaters is first and foremost an expression of gratitude. This milestone is about the countless members, staff, elected officials, donors and patients who together have made this organization what it is today.
Our mission has remained the same for 40 years: to provide the best health care, and access to that care, for everyone in our communities.
Learn more about what that means to us.
We celebrate the legacy of Hudson Headwaters by reemphasizing our commitment to our patients, communities and partners. The best way to do that is to envision the next forty years of accessible care.
Hear from our physicians and leaders about their vision for the next forty years of accessible care.
How does access to health care affect the rural towns of the North Country? In 40 years, Hudson Headwaters grew to 21 locations, all of which became deeply rooted in the communities.
Hear from some of our providers and community leaders about what it means to be part of these communities.
Hudson Headwaters’ staff is made up of people with deep ties to the communities we serve.
Hear from some of our past employees about what it was like working for Hudson Headwaters in the early days and how it has evolved over the past 40 years.
There are many elements of Hudson Headwaters Health Network. No single health center or program stands alone. Together, each one of us contributes to the chemistry that binds our mission with the communities and patients we serve.
Dr. Tucker Slingerland started as a physician at Moreau Family Health and the Health Center on Broad Street in 2008. He worked very closely with Dr. Rugge before stepping into the CEO role in 2017.
The majority of our health centers are in the rural Adirondacks. In many small towns, Hudson Headwaters is the only health care provider.
Nurses are a vital component of Hudson Headwaters. We pride ourselves on making sure their needs are met and that they are empowered to give good care to our patients.
We are proud to be a physician-led Network. Many members of our leadership team, including our CEO, are practicing physicians who see patients on a daily basis.
At Hudson Headwaters, we believe that no one should delay seeking medical care because of high medical costs or lack of insurance.
Hear from Dr. Paul Bachman what it’s like to be a primary care provider in rural communities where the hospital isn’t easily accessible.
Dr. Daniel Way and his wife, Dr. Harriet Busch, were two of Hudson Headwaters’ founding physicians and both worked for the Network for more than 35 years. Dr. Way is also a passionate photographer and has captured the stories and photos of his patients from all walks of life.
“The story of the Homeward Bound and Palliative Care Program is one that is unique to Hudson Headwaters Health Network. In 2006, Dr. Rugge talked with me about an opportunity to work with the Glens Falls Home Foundation. They wanted to support a program serving community-dwelling elders in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area. At that time, the Network was the primary care provider for an ever-increasing number of elders who were unable to come into the office due to frailty. As these elders were getting more vulnerable, they were also becoming less able to access the care they needed. Hudson Headwaters providers had always done some house calls. The vision for Homeward Bound was to expand on this service in order to serve this growing population of homebound patients.”
In 2021, the same high-quality care that communities had come to expect at our health centers was offered on wheels for the first time with the inception of Mobile Health, one of the Network’s mission-driven initiatives to expand its access to care.
Hudson Headwaters Mobile Health began seeing patients at the Historic Salem Courthouse in Salem, NY, on June 7, 2021.
Dr. Tucker Slingerland started as a physician at Moreau Family Health and the Health Center on Broad Street in 2008. He stepped into the role of CEO in 2017.
Dr. Rugge began what would become Hudson Headwaters in 1974 with a single health center in Chestertown, NY. He was CEO of the Network until 2017 and continued seeing patients until 2020.
Born and raised in Glens Falls, Dr. Borgos returned to the area after his residency and started with the Network in 2003. He became Chief Medical Officer in 2019.
Dr. Bachman has worked for Hudson Headwaters since 1985. While he retired from his role as Chief Quality Officer, he still sees patients at Chester-Horicon Health Center and Warrensburg Health Center.
Dr. Larson was the Network’s first Chief Medical Officer. He began working with Dr. Rugge as a Medical Student in 1976 and worked for Hudson Headwaters until 2019. He and his wife, Victoria Wirth, MSN, worked as the provider recruitment team.
Victoria Wirth, MSN started with the Network in 1991. She and her husband, Dr. Daniel Larson, worked as the provider recruitment team for the Network until they retired in 2019.
Doctor Daniel Way was one of Hudson Headwaters’ founding physicians. He worked for the Network for over 35 years until he retired in 2019.
Doctor Harriet Busch was one of Hudson Headwaters’ founding physicians. She worked for the Network for over 35 years until she retired in 2019.
Dr. Phil Gara was one of the Network’s founding physicians in 1979. After leaving to start his own practice, Dr. Gara returned to Hudson Headwaters in 2020 as the Medical Director of Fort Hudson Nursing Home.
Donna started with the Network in 2002 as the Director of Nursing. She retired in 2019.
Jim was President of the Hudson Headwaters Health Foundation from its inception in 2005 until its dissolution in 2022.
Patricia started with the Network in 2000 and became the Director of Homeward Bound in 2006. She is currently a Network board member.
Cameron Cupp, Oral History Intern, University of Albany
Kayla Hinds, Video Production Intern, University of Albany
Rebecca Sweigart, Video Production Intern, Colgate University
