Diane Valden reports in The Upstater that Columbia Memorial Health is asking for donations to provide health care in southeastern Columbia County. Columbia Memorial Health’s Copake Rapid Care Center at 283 Mountain View Road is currently closed, but there have been local calls to get it open again. Ancram Town Board member Amy Gold said at the Jan. 18 board meeting that Columbia Memorial Health had collected $125,000 in donations so far to get the rapid care center open. A recent fundraising letter from Columbia Memorial Health said, “A critical component of our fundraising initiative is to reopen Copake Rapid Care in 2024.” The only healthcare facility for miles around has been closed since late 2022. Columbia Memorial Health is also asking the towns of Ancram, Copake, Hillsdale, Taghkanic, and Gallatin to each contribute $25,000 toward reopening the facility. CMH spokesperson Bill Van Slyke would not say when, or if, the facility will reopen, saying instead that, “CMH remains committed to reopening the service and our fundraising efforts continue in that regard.” Read more about this story in The Upstater.