Press Release

Schumer, Gillibrand, Higgins, King: Foot-Dragging By Feds Puts Billions Of Dollars For Ny Hospitals At Risk – Officials Urged Feds To Extend Deadline So Hospital Projects Can Move Forward

Jan 19, 2011

Today, U.S Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Peter King (R-NY) released a letter urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jacob J. Lew to extend an important construction completion deadline for capital and other projects at New York State hospitals and other health facilities, paid for with federal dollars. The construction deadline is currently September 30^th of this year, meaning that under current regulations, the projects need to be completed by then, or funding will be cut off . The program through which these 350 projects in NY are being funded is called Federal-State Health Reform Program (F-SHRP). The program provides help to modernize hospitals and create jobs across the state by investing in infrastructure projects. The F-SHRP program’s goals are to promote the efficient operation of the State’s health care system; consolidate and right-size New York’s health care system by reducing excess capacity in the acute care system; shift emphasis in long-term care from institutional-based to community-based settings; expand the adoption of advanced health information technology and improve ambulatory and primary care provision.

In 2006 New York was awarded $2.5 billion for capital improvements at hospitals and health care facilities across New York State, with the stipulation that the projects needed to be completed by September 30^th, 2011. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic red tape at the state and federal level, it took an unexpectedly long time to get the projects underway. Now many projects across the state are in danger of being stopped in their tracks, meaning major job losses, unless the deadline is extended. Projects at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse; Bassett Healthcare Network in Little Falls, NY; Oswego Health in Oswego, NY; will be particularly hard hit.

The state of New York has requested an extension, but the Feds have so far not responded.

“This program invests now in projects that create jobs in the short-term and maximizes taxpayer savings in the medium and long-term,” said Schumer. “This aims to give New York the most up to date and cost-effective hospitals so that patients can receive the highest level of care at the lowest possible cost. Putting a halt to these job-creating projects because of an arbitrary deadline, particularly when the hospitals themselves are not at fault, makes no sense.”

“This agreement has resulted in greater oversight and accountability,” said Senator Gillibrand. “It has saved taxpayer money and improved care for millions of New Yorkers. The waiver should absolutely be extended. These are exactly the kind of solutions we need right now. It is common sense.”

“This is a fight to build on the progress underway that is creating quality jobs in the construction and health sectors and delivering enhanced treatment and care to patients across New York,” said Congressman Higgins. “Keeping these federal funds here is critical to the state’s economy and our position as a leader in health care delivery and breakthrough medicine.”

“It is imperative that New York be granted a waiver,” said Congressman King. “This program not only enhances patient care but reduces Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse. Additionally, the failure to secure an extension would shut down shovel-ready projects and cost New Yorkers good jobs.”

Through the F-SHRP program, New York State has been empowered to implement significant reform to the health care system including long-overdue and necessary modernization of the state’s health care infrastructure. Further, F-SHRP has increased access to patient care, while improving the quality of care through the establishment of medical homes. As a condition of the waiver, the state has consistently met annual goals to reduce Medicaid fraud and abuse.

Beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2010, New York State made grant awards of approximately $2.5 billion in state and federal funds to finance more than 470 projects. These awards are providing necessary financial support to help facilities undertake major projects, including developing supportive housing options as alternatives to nursing homes, revamping behavioral health services to better integrate medical and mental health care, and assisting facilities in developing health information technology interfaces to help coordinate care for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Many hospitals also are in the process of using these funds to help finance major projects to improve efficiency and expand access, including developing new primary care clinics and shifting inpatient beds to outpatient space.

While the funds have been committed to all of these worthy and complex projects, final completion of 350 of them may not occur before the September 30^th expiration of the F-SHRP program.

The extension would not require additional federal funds, but simply provide the state with authority to use the federal funds already committed under the waiver. In fact, it is expected that full implementation of all F-SHRP programs will result in Medicaid savings to both the state and federal government. An extension of F-SHRP would allow hundreds of reform and restructuring projects to be completed, including job-creating capital projects throughout the state

As the continuation of F-SHRP becomes increasingly uncertain, many facilities in early stages of their projects are reconsidering moving ahead, further endangering the job-creating capital projects and long-term reform that will help build a more efficient and cost-effective health care system.

Schumer, Gillibrand, King, and Higgins were joined on the letter by their colleagues in the New York congressional delegation.

New York ‘F-SHRP’ Program Hospitals

A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital Society, Oneonta	Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx
AHRC Health Care, Inc., New York	Morningside at Home, Inc., Bronx
Albert Lindley Lee Memorial Hospital c/o Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC , Syracuse	Morningside House Nursing Home Company, Inc., Bronx
Alice Hyde Medical Center, Malone	Morris Heights Health Center, Bronx
Allegany/Western Steuben Rural Health Network, Inc., Wellsville	Morrisania Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Bronx
Amber Court @ Suffolk County, LLC, Nesconset	Mount Sinai Hospital , New York
Amsterdam Nursing Home Corp., New York	Mount Sinai Hospital (Project #2 $13.5M), Long Island City
Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, Rochester	Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, Long Island City
Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Elmira	Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, Inc., Mount Vernon
Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Inc., New York	Nassau Health Care Corp., East Meadow
Aspire of WNY D and T Center, Cheektowaga	Nassau Health Care Corporation d/b/a the NuHealth System, East Meadow
Association to Benefit Children, New York	New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York
Auburn Memorial Hospital, Auburn	New York City Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH), New York
Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Inc., Scotia	New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, New York
Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Brooklyn	New York Downtown Hospital, New York
Bellevue Hospital Center, New York	New York eHealth Collaborative, New York
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Springville	New York Ehealth Collaborative, New York
Betances Health Center, New York	New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York	New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, Flushing
Bethel Nursing Home, Inc., Ossining	New York Westchester Square Medical Center, Bronx
Bon Secours Charity Health System, Suffern	New York Westchester Square Medical Center c/o Garfunkel, Wild & Travis, P.C., Great Neck
Bronx Addiction Services Integrated Concept Systems, Inc. (BASICS, INC.), Bronx	Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Niagara Falls
Bronx RHIO, Bronx	North Shore University Hospital, Lake Success
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx	North Shore-LIJ Health System, Great Neck
Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, New York	North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Care, Inc. , Great Neck
Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn	Northeast Health, Inc., Troy
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, Patchogue	Northern Manor Geriatric Center, Inc., Nanuet
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Patchogue	Nyack Hospital, Nyack
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Inc., Patchogue	NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), New York
Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIX), Brooklyn	NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation – Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx
Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn	NYCHHC – East New York Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Brooklyn
Brownsville Community Development Corporation, Brooklyn	NYCHHC – Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst
Cabrini Medical Center, New York	NYCHHC – Queens Hospital Center, Jamaica
Cabrini Medical Center c/o Garfunkel, Wild & Travis, P.C., Great Neck	NYCHHC Coler-Goldwater, New York
Camphill Ghent, Inc., Copake	NYCHHC Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn
Carthage Area Hospital, Inc., Carthage	NYCHHC Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, New York
Catholic Health Care System, New York	NYCHHC-Lincoln, Bronx
Catholic Health System, Inc., Buffalo	Oak Orchard Community Health Center, Brockport
Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center, Inc., Highland	ODA Primary Health Care Center, Inc., Brooklyn
Catskill Regional Medical Center, Harris	Open Door Family Medical Center, Inc., Ossining
Center for Disability Services, Albany	Orleans Community Health, Medina
Central Assisted Living, LLC, Far Rockaway	Oswego Hospital, Oswego
Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Services, Inc, Hicksville	Oswego Hospital – Fulton Urgent Care, Oswego
Central Suffolk Hospital, Patchogue	Oswego Hospital – Primary Care Network, Oswego
Central Suffolk Hospital dba Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead	Otsego County, Cooperstown
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical, Plattsburgh	Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital, Inc., Binghamton
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center, Plattsburgh	Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital, Inc. (Lourdes Hospital), Binghamton
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York	P2 Collaborative of Western New York, Inc., Williamsville
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc., Flushing	Parker Jewish Institute of Health Care and Rehabilitation, New York
Chautauqua County Health Network, Jamestown	Perry Avenue Family Medical Center, Inc., Bronx
Chenango Health Network, Norwich	Pine Valley Center, LLC d/b/a Pine Valley Center for Rehabilitation & Nursing, Spring Valley
Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Ogdensburg	Planned Parenthood of Western New York (PPWNY), Buffalo
CNYHS, East Syracuse	Premier Health Care, New York
Cobble Hill Health Center, Brooklyn	Presbyterian Home for Central New York, Inc., New Hartford
Columbia County Community Healthcare Consortium, Inc., Hudson	Queens Hospital Center, Jamaica
Columbia Memorial Hospital, Hudson	Richmond Medical Center dba Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island
Columbia University Health Care, Inc., New York	Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island
Community General Hospital, Syracuse	Rivington House Health Care Facility and Mapplethorpe Residential Treatment Facility, New York
Community Health Care Association of New York State, New York	Rochester General Hospital, Rochester
Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc. (CHCB), Buffalo	Rochester General Long Term Care, Inc. d/b/a Hill Haven Nursing Home, Webster
Community Health Center of Richmond, Inc., Staten Island	Rockland County Department of Health, Pomona
Community Health Project, Inc. d/b/a Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York	Rutland Nursing Home, Brooklyn
Community Health Project, Inc. d/b/a Michael Callen – Audre Lorde Community Health Center, New York	Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center, New York
Community Healthcare Network, New York	Ryan-Nena Community Health Center, New York
Community Memorial Hospital, Hamilton	Saint Francis Health Care Foundation, Inc., Poughkeepsie
Coney Island Hospital, New York	Saint John’s Riverside Hospital, Yonkers
County of Lewis, Lowville	Samaritan Hospital of Troy New York, Troy
County of Schenectady – Glendale Home, Scotia	Samaritan Hospital of Troy, New York, Troy
Crestwood Health Care Center, Inc., Niagara	Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown
Cumberland Diagnostic and Treatment Center North Brooklyn Health Network, Brooklyn	Samaritan Medical Center for Watertown Nursing Home, Watertown
Damian Family Care Center, Briarwood	San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Inc., Greenport
Damian Family Care Centers, Inc. (Project Samaritan Health Services, Inc.), Briarwood	Schenectady Family Health Services, Inc., dba Hometown Health Centers, Schenectady
Daughters of Jacob Nursing Home Company, Inc., Bronx	Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, White Plains
DMN Management Services, LLC d/b/a Capital Living and Rehabilitation Centres (The Avenue), Schenectady	Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center & Home, Staten Island
Dolan Family Health Center, Greenlawn	Seton Health, Troy
East Hill Family Medical, Inc., Auburn	Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo
Eastern Niagara Hospital (formerly Lockport Memorial Hospital), Lockport	Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital, Penn Yan
Eastman Dental Center , Rochester	Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester, New Rochelle
Ellis Hospital, Schenectady	Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester, New Rochelle
Ellis Hospital- St. Clare’s takeover, Schenectady	South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside
Erie County Medical Center Corporation (ECMCC), Buffalo	Southern Tier Link, Binghamton
Family Health Network of Central New York, Inc., Cortland	St. Ann’s of Greater Rochester Inc., Rochester
Family Services of Chemung County Inc., Elmira	St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx
Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare, Utica	St. Clare’s Hospital- Closure, Schenectady
Federation Employment and Guidance Service, Inc. (FEGS), New York	St. Francis Geriatric and Healthcare Services, Buffalo
Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, Rochester	St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers c/o St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, Inc., Roslyn
Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, Inc., Penn Yan	St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, South Shore (SJEH), Far Rockaway
Flushing Hospital and Medical Center, Flushing	St. Joseph’s Hospital, Elmira
Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Flushing	St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, Syracuse
Folts Homes Inc., Herkimer	St. Joseph’s Hospital Yonkers, Yonkers
Forest Hills Hospital, Forest Hills	St. Luke Residential Health Care Facility Inc., Oswego
Forest Hills Hospital , Forest Hills	St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Newburgh
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Watertown	St. Margaret’s House and Hospital for Babies, Inc., Albany
Glens Falls Hospital, Glens Falls	St. Vincent de Paul Residence, Bronx
Goldwater Specialty Hospital Nursing Facility , New York	Stamford Health Care Society, Inc., Stamford
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, West Islip	Stony Brook University Hospital, East Setauket
Good Samaritan Nursing Home , West Islip	Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook
Greater Harlem Nursing Home Co., Inc., New York	Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Hauppauge
Greater Rochester Independent Practice Assn (GRIPA), Rochester	Sunset Park Health Council, Brooklyn
Greater Rochester RHIO, Rochester	SUNY @ Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine Dental Care Center, Stony Brook
Health Information Exchange of New York (HIXNY), Clifton Park	SUNY Downstate Medical Center / University Hospital of Brooklyn, Brooklyn
Health Information Technology Alliance of Syracuse (HITAS), Syracuse	SVCMC-St. Vincent’s Hospital Staten Island (Richmond University Medical), Staten Island
Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative (HITEC), New York	Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc., Syracuse
HealtheLink, Buffalo	Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center , New York
Healthy Capital District Initiative, Albany	The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn
Heathwood Health Care Center, Inc., Williamsville	The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC), Brooklyn
HHC/Queens Hospital Center, Jamaica	The Center for Discovery, Monticello
HITEC, New York	The Children’s Aid Society , New York
Home for the Aged of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Queens Village	The Gerry Homes, Jamestown
Home of the Good Shepherd, Saratoga Springs	The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, Bronx
Horizon Health Services, Inc., Buffalo	The John T. Mather Memorial Hospital of Port Jefferson NY, Inc., Port Jefferson
Housing Works, Inc., Brooklyn	The McGuire Group Healthcare Facilities LLC, Buffalo
Hudson Headwaters Health Network, Queensbury	The New York and Presbyterian Hospital, New York
Hudson River Healthcare, Peekskill	The New York and Presbyterian Hospital, White Plains
Hudson River HealthCare, Inc., Peekskill	The New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York
Hudson River Healthcare, Inc., Peekskill	The Research Foundation of State University of New York, Rensselaer
ICD-International Center for the Disabled, New York	The Research Foundation of State University of New York, Brooklyn
Institute for Community Living, New York	The Rosa Coplon Jewish Home & Infirmary, Inc., Getzville
Institute for Family Health, New York	The Westchester Institute for Human Development, Valhalla
Institute for Family Health , New York	The Woman’s Christian Association of Jamestown, N.Y. (WCA Hospital), Jamestown
Interboro RHIO, Elmhurst	The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Great Neck
Interfaith Medical Center, Brooklyn	THINC RHIO, Fishkill
IPRO, Lake Success	THINC RHIO Inc, Fishkill
Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, Inc., Bath	THINC RHIO, Inc., Fishkill
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Jamaica	Tioga Health Care Center, LLC, Williamsville
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center D &TC, Jamaica	TLC Health Network, Gowanda
Jefferson County Public Health Service, Watertown	TLC Health Network, Irving
Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services, Inc., New York	Tri-County Family Medicine Program, Inc., Dansville
Jewish Home Lifecare, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus, Bronx, Bronx	UB Associates, Inc., Buffalo
Joseph P. Addabbo, Arverne	United Health Services Hospitals, Johnson City
Judith Lynn Home for Adults, LLC, Bronx	United Hebrew Geriatric Center, New Rochelle
Kaleida Health – Gates-Deaconess, Buffalo	United Hospital Fund, New York
Kaleida Health – MFG, Buffalo	United Memorial Medical Center, Batavia
Kingsbrook Healthcare System, Inc. , Brooklyn	Unity Hospital, Rochester
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Brooklyn	University Hospital of the State of New York, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse
Lake Erie Regional Health System/TLC Health Network, Irving	University of Rochester (Golisano Children’s Hospital), Rochester
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York	Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Albany
Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center NYC HHC, Bronx	Upper Hudson Primary Care Consortium Inc, Glens Falls
LIPIX, Inc. (Long Island Patient Information Exchange), Manhasset	Valentine Lane Family Practice, Yonkers
Little Falls Hospital, Little Falls	Valley Health Services, Inc., Herkimer
Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach	Valley View Center for Nursing Care & Rehabilitation, Goshen
Long Island College Hospital, New York	Victory Memorial Hospital, Brooklyn
Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Great Neck	Village Center for Care, New York
Long Island Patient Information Exchange (LIPIX), Manhasset	Visiting Nurse Service of New York, New York
Loretto Health & Rehabilitation, Syracuse	Vocational Instruction Project Community Services, Inc., Bronx
Lutheran Housing Reality, Inc., Jamestown	Wartburg Home of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon
Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn	Weill Cornell Medical School – Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative, New York
Lutheran Retirement Home, Jamestown	Westchester County Health Care Corporation, Valhalla
Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn	Western New York Clinical Information Exchange (WNYCIE), Buffalo
Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown	Western New York Clinical Information Exchange, Inc. dba HealtheLink, Buffalo
Medina Memorial Health Care System, Medina	Westfield Memorial Hospital, Westfield
Menorah Campus Adult Home, Inc., Getzville	Westside Health Services, Inc., Rochester
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo	Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, Brooklyn
Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York	Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center/North Brooklyn Health Network, Brooklyn
MJG Nursing Home, Inc., Brooklyn	Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Brooklyn
Mohawk Valley Network, Inc., Utica	Wyoming County, Warsaw
Monroe County Department of Public Health, Rochester	Wyoming County Community Hospital, Warsaw

The members’ letter to Secretary Sebelius and Director Lew can be seen below:

January 14, 2011

The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius The Honorable Jacob J. Lew

Secretary Director

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Management and Budget

200 Independence Avenue, SW 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20101 Washington, DC 20503

Dear Secretary Sebelius and Director Lew:

We urge you to swiftly review and approve New York State’s request for a three-year extension of the Federal-State Health Reform Partnership (F-SHRP) waiver under Section 1115 (e) of the Social Security Act. The five-year term of the F-SHRP waiver is due to expire on September 30, 2011. The New York State Department of Health (DOH), on behalf of the state, requested this extension on September 30, 2010.

Through the F-SHRP waiver, New York State has been empowered to implement significant reform to the health care system including long-overdue and necessary modernization of the state’s health care infrastructure. Further, F-SHRP has increased access to patient care, while improving the quality of care through the establishment of medical homes. As a condition of the waiver, the state has consistently met annual goals to reduce Medicaid fraud and abuse.

While the funds have been committed to all of these worthy and complex projects, final completion of 350 of them may not occur before the current expiration of the F-SHRP waiver.

Facilities that responded in good faith to the federal and state calls for reform will need additional time to carry out these transformations. The procedures put in place to establish and oversee numerous grant programs, some of which require institutions to clear additional administrative conditions, help ensure the integrity of each awardee’s application, yet require a generous timeline.

We believe New York State’s request for an F-SHRP extension is imperative and should be reviewed and approved expeditiously. We look forward to working with you on this issue.

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