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ELMIRA, N.Y. -- An Elmira health care center is serving as an example for a Western New York County.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz visited the Priority Community Healthcare Center Wednesday. It is a primary-care doctors' office for recipients of Medicaid. Chemung County leaders said the clinic serves 3,000 patients a year and saves the county $3 million annually, because it's much cheaper to treat a patient at the clinic than at the emergency room. .

Poloncarz said he visited the Elmira facility for ideas on thinking "out of the box" when it comes to saving money on health care.

Poloncarz said, “As I said, to do two things, to not only ensure that they're reducing long -term costs to the program, because Medicaid is very expensive, but to ensure at the end of the day that this underserved population is getting the health care they need so they can lead productive and long lives.”

Poloncarz wants to establish an Erie Community Health Care Office similar to the Elmira facility.