[1] Many health care systems in place in New York developed from nonprofit charitable organizations.
[11] In 2000, a report from The Commonwealth Fund found that nearly three-quarters of emergency room visits in New York City were for non-emergent healthcare needs or could have been treated in a primary care setting.
The report concluded that reducing strain on hospital emergency departments, the city's primary care system required significant expansion and barriers to care for low-income patients and those without health insurance needed to be reduced.
[citation needed] New Yorkers living in low-income communities or who are unemployed have limited access to quality healthcare.
[12] The NYC Health + Hospitals program attempts to improve healthcare availability for these residents.
This created a scarcity of hospital beds and available intensive care unit space.
Comparing the poorest ZIP codes to the wealthiest revealed a 38 to 65 percent difference in negative tests.
[26] Despite this, short supply, extended wait times, and difficulties with eligibility and registration remained obstacles.