State Awards $30 Million to Hospitals and Clinics to Improve Mental Health Services
Funding for Capital Projects will Enhance Coordination and Delivery of Care
ALBANY, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2010) – Nineteen hospitals and clinics across New York State have been awarded grants totaling $38.5 million to improve the coordination and delivery of inpatient and outpatient mental health services.
The awards are the latest in a series of funding initiatives provided through the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) and the Federal-State Health Reform Partnership (F-SHRP). The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) will jointly administer the funding in conjunction with the State Office of Mental Health.
The grants will be used principally for capital projects involving the consolidation, renovation, and expansion of treatment space. Projects will enable hospitals and clinics to address service needs arising from aging physical plants, hospital closures, and innovations in mental health treatment modalities that will improve services for clients in the community and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.
"Quality health care must address the needs of the whole person, and New York State is making investments in our health care system to accomplish this goal and benefit patients," said State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. "These awards will upgrade and modernize New York's mental health infrastructure to provide better and more efficient health care for all individuals seeking treatment."
Michael F. Hogan, PhD, Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health, said, "These awards fill a key gap in the mental health safety net. Facilities will use the awards to modernize and improve environments of care. Over time, these resources will help us to reduce excess inpatient mental health hospitalization by strengthening outpatient and community-based services more appropriate to clients' needs."
DASNY President Paul T. Williams, Jr. said: "DASNY looks forward to working with the Department of Health and the Office of Mental Health to facilitate funding for capital projects that support needed innovation in the delivery of mental health services."
Some of the projects receiving HEAL NY funding include:
- An $8 million award for renovations to Nyack Hospital in Rockland County that will enable the county to transfer its mental health crisis center and its adult inpatient psychiatric unit to a full-service acute care setting with both outpatient and emergency services.
- A $423,250 grant to Otsego County to support the consolidation of the county's separate mental health and chemical dependence clinics into a single location, which will improve the efficiency of clinic operations and allow for the integrated treatment of clients with co-occurring disorders.
- A $500,000 award to the Community Health Center of Buffalo for renovations that will help integrate medical and mental health care, especially for patients with chronic medical conditions; and,
- A $1.4 million award to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center to relieve overcrowding in the hospital's emergency psychiatric treatment program, which will lead to shorter waiting times, better evaluation of patients, and a reduction in inpatient admissions.
All 19 projects are expected to commence in October 2010. Attached is a full list of grant recipients and their awards:
| Bronx- Lebanon Hospital Center | $1,400,000 |
| New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation /Lincoln Medical Center | $5,500,000 |
| Nyack Hospital | $8,000,000 |
| Richmond Medical Center, dba Richmond University Medical Center | $1,601,949 |
| The New York and Presbyterian Hospital | $8,000,000 |
| The Zucker Hillside Hospital | $8,000,000 |
| Association to Benefit Children | $174,937 |
| Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, Inc | $390,400 |
| Columbia Memorial Hospital | $321,248 |
| Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc. (CHCB) | $500,000 |
| Community Healthcare Network | $495,500 |
| County of Lewis | $928,038 |
| Ellis Hospital | $296,809 |
| Family Services of Chemung County Inc. | $845,000 |
| ICD-International Center for the Disabled | $428,757 |
| Otsego County | $423,250 |
| Rochester General Hospital | $80,600 |
| South Nassau Communities Hospital | $317,027 |
| Suffolk County Department of Health Services | $798,434 |
| Total | 38,501,949 |
