Hospitals and Nursing Homes to Receive $362.3 Million to Implement Berger Measures
Albany, N.Y. (September 28, 2007) - Twenty-three hospitals and seven nursing homes around the state were notified today that they will receive $362.3 million to assist them in complying with the mandates of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, known as the Berger Commission.
The awards are the latest to be approved by the state Department of Health and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York from total funding of up to $550 million that was designated for assisting hospitals and nursing homes in implementing the provisions of the Berger Commission.
The Department will be announcing additional grants for the remaining $187.7 million in funding over the next few weeks as award decisions are made.
The funds will help facilities reduce excess inpatient capacity in favor of outpatient and ambulatory health care and community-oriented long-term care services. For hospital and nursing homes required to close or to merge with other institutions in their service areas, the awards will aid in the retirement of debt, the payment of legal and consulting fees associated with new governance arrangements, and in the payment of severance packages, retraining and placement services for displaced employees.
As a group, the projects selected for awards are characterized by a practical approach to needed change. "I commend these facilities for responding in a constructive manner to the Berger Commission mandates," said Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. "Their resourcefulness in reconfiguring their buildings, services and governance will smooth the transition to a more stable and efficient health care system for their communities and for all of New York State."
David D. Brown IV, Executive Director of the Dormitory Authority, said: "We at the Dormitory Authority are pleased to be part of this important process that provides funds to help ensure better and more efficient health care to New Yorkers."
Funding for the grants was made available through the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) and the Federal-State Health Reform Partnership (F-SHRP). Today's totals include earlier announcements of $17 million for the closure of St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital in Manhattan and $47.6 million for the merger of Kingston and Benedictine hospitals in Ulster County.
The Health Department anticipates offering another round of HEAL NY grants this year for other health-care institution mergers and consolidations, as well as the expansion of community-based services for primary and preventive care and home health-care options. Health-care institutions are expected to seek local input as they design more outpatient services for their area to meet Berger mandates.
| App# | Applicant | County | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital | New York | $17,082,283 |
| 3 | Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Eastern Long Island Hospital, Peconic Bay Medical Center, Southampton Hospital (Suffolk Health Network) |
Suffolk | $24,000,000 |
| 4 | The Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital | Ulster | $47,600,000 |
| 5 | A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility | Nassau | $14,000,000 |
| 6 | Nassau University Medical Center | Nassau | $23,000,000 |
| 7 | Brooks Memorial Hospital | Chautauqua | $3,763,000 |
| 8 | TLC Health Network | Cattaraugus | $12,625,000 |
| 9 | Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc. | Chautauqua | $5,047,461 |
| 11 | Victory Memorial Hospital | Kings | $25,000,000 |
| 13 | Cabrini Medical Center | New York | $14,000,000 |
| 17 | Orange Regional Medical Center | Orange | $24,000,000 |
| 18 | New York Downtown Hospital | New York | $6,166,667 |
| 19 | United Helpers Canton Nursing Home, Inc. | St. Lawrence | $8,100,000 |
| 20 | Community General Hospital and Van Duyn Home and Hospital |
Onondaga | $12,800,000 |
| 21 | Bellevue Woman's Medical Center, Inc. | Schenectady | $21,978,388 |
| 22 | Lockport Memorial Hospital and Inter-Community Memorial Hospital |
Niagara | $9,100,000 |
| 25 | Mount View Health Facility | Niagara | $8,800,000 |
| 27 | Queens Hospital Center | Queens | $12,000,000 |
| 29 | Stony Brook University Hospital | Suffolk | $2,850,000 |
| 32 | Ellis Hospital | Schenectady | $5,878,100 |
| 41 | Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation |
Nassau | $992,500 |
| 44 | Long Beach Medical Center | Queens | $11,200,000 |
| 46 | Lenox Hill Hospital on behalf of Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH) |
New York | $25,100,000 |
| 55 | Nazareth Nursing Home | Erie | $7,307,109 |
| 59 | Sound Shore Medical Center | Westchester | $12,400,000 |
| 61 | Bertrand Chaffee Hospital | Erie | $4,500,000 |
| 62 | Albany County Nursing Home and Ann Lee Infirmary |
Albany | $3,008,841 |
| Total | $362,299,349 |
