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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York health officials have awarded $462 million to help 22 hospitals and five large public hospital systems statewide continue key services.
The funds followed a federal agreement in April for New York to reinvest $8 billion in Medicaid savings to support hospital overhauls and expand primary medical care over five years. The goal is to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent while helping financially struggling institutions shift to more primary and outpatient care.
Further funding from the so-called Medicaid waiver will be available next March following another round of applications, state Health Department spokesman Bill Schwarz said. In this phase, authorities turned down two hospital requests for funding, concluding they weren't needed.
"This helps those institutions that are financially challenged or to help maintain operations as a bridge to get to larger funds," Schwarz said. "The goal is to achieve the triple aim of reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality."
Among large public hospital systems, interim subsidies included $152.4 million for New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., $37.2 million for Nassau Health Care Corp. and $20.4 million to SUNY hospitals downstate, $15 million to SUNY hospitals upstate and $8.5 million to SUNY hospitals on Long Island. Others were $8.5 million to Erie County Medical Center and nearly $8 million to Westchester Medical Center.
Awards for 22 so-called safety net facilities included $53.4 million for Brookdale Hospital, $36.9 million for Interfaith Medical Center, $23.6 million for Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, and $4.3 million for Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, all in Brooklyn.
In the Bronx, $16.7 million was for Montefiore New Rochelle and $12.5 million for Montefiore Mount Vernon. St. John's Episcopal in Queens was awarded $2.4 million.
On Long Island, Brookhaven Medical Center in Suffolk County was approved for $5.5 million.
Other downstate awards were $5.2 million for Nyack Hospital in Rockland County, and $4.3 million for Bon Secours Charity Health in Orange County.
In northern New York, awards were Carthage Area Hospital, $10.4 million; Lewis County General Hospital, $4.7 million; Massena Memorial Hospital, $4.25 million; Gouverneur Hospital, $2.5 million; Moses Ludington, $2.2 million; and River Hospital, $1.1 million.
In western New York, TLC Health Network got $6.6 million and Wyoming County Community Health received $1.9 million.
In the Southern Tier, $6.4 million was awarded to St. James Mercy Hospital and $3.35 million to Cuba Memorial.
Other grants were $3.6 million for Health Alliance in Ulster County and $287,000 for Rome Memorial in Oneida County.
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