Two community health care organizations in Westchester County and a Bronx-based hospital with an expanding presence in Westchester will receive grants to improve and expand their services to elderly and low-income residents in a new $45 million round of funding through the state Department of Health”™s Vital Access/Safety Net Provider Program.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Tuesday announced a second funding round that will support 37 health care providers in the state with projects over the next three years. Established by the governor”™s Medicaid Redesign Team, the Vital Access/Safety Net Provider Program is budgeted to receive a total of $182 million in the state”™s 2013-2014 fiscal year. Of the total, $80 million remains for future awards.
State officials said the funds will be used primarily to improve community care and to achieve defined financial, operational and quality improvement goals that involve integrating or reconfiguring services offered by the hospital or community health center. State officials said recipients were selected due to their “serious financial condition” and critical role in providing services to fragile, elderly and low-income New Yorkers.
Headquartered in Peekskill, Hudson River Health Care Inc. was awarded $505,540 in program funds. Known as HRHCare, the organization operates a network of 22 health centers that serve residents in 10 counties in the Hudson Valley and Long Island.
Serving residents in southern Westchester County and the Bronx for 40 years, the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center Network was awarded $236,152 in Vital Access/Safety Net Provider funding. The nonprofit”™s facilities include the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, Yonkers Community Health Center, Greenburgh Health Center, Women”™s Premier Obstetrics & Advanced Gynecology in White Plains and a school-based health program at the Edward Williams School in Mount Vernon. The network also provides health services at the county”™s homeless shelters in White Plains and Valhalla and at the Sharing Community Health Center in Yonkers.
Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx was awarded $6 million in program funds. Montefiore this year acquired and operates the former Sound Shore Health System community hospitals in New Rochelle and Mount Vernon.
Montefiore today will open its first urgent care facility in Westchester County at the Montefiore Medical Group Cross County office at 1010 Central Ave. in Yonkers.
Look, I think this is great for the low income people. But be very careful with Medicaid. NYS spends a lot more than other states. Plus there’s always a possibility of filial responsibility laws coming to NYS.