Column: The state of Westchester’s health care sector

BY MARISSA BRETT

Westchester County hospitals and providers have traditionally provided world-class care and now they are about to take a great leap forward, as approximately $1 billion in capital is invested in our health care infrastructure.

Community hospitals are aligning with leading medical institutions; new freestanding facilities to treat cancer, fight geriatric dementia and offer one-stop primary and specialty care have or are about to open; and the Westchester County Local Development Corp. is making millions in low-cost financing available to hospitals and assisted living facilities.

These advances, together with the robust research activities and clinical care delivered by Westchester Medical Center and others, means more leading-edge care than ever will take place in Westchester. And with major biotech and medical technology companies dotting the landscape here, the idea of Westchester as a national innovation hub is rapidly emerging.

It”™s safe to say Westchester”™s health care sector is healthier than it has been in a long time. And that”™s going to be a boon for this county. Here”™s why:

Ӣ Health care is our regionӪs biggest sector, contributing more than $15 billion to the economy. It is the second-largest employer, providing jobs to 17 percent of the areaӪs workforce.

”¢ Our county”™s population ”” and those living in nearby Putnam, Rockland, and Dutchess counties who rely on Westchester”™s providers for advanced care ”” will have access to more services, clinical trials, expertise and integrated care, which is integral to healthy communities.

”¢ The future of health care depends on collaboration between all players ”” providers, payers and consumers ”” and the intelligent use and sharing of data. The Healthcare Consortium, organized by the Westchester County Association, has brought these players to the table to work together. The end result will be a transformative model of care.

Keeping care local

The $1 billion capital infusion comes when Westchester needs it the most. For years, health care payers have pushed to lower costs by reducing hospitalizations. The result was a plethora of empty beds in community hospitals ”” the facilities we depend on to be open 24/7 and to care for the sickest patients, whether they can pay or not. At the same time, Westchester”™s aging population means more hospital patients are being covered by Medicare than by commercial insurers. We know Medicare doesn”™t cover the cost of all treatment ”” either at a hospital or at the doctor”™s office.

When Sound Shore Medical System declared bankruptcy in 2013, it appeared to be the proverbial canary in a coal mine. But while it lacked resources to stand on its own, Montefiore Medical Center had the means to acquire the Sound Shore hospitals in New Rochelle and Mount Vernon. Another health care giant, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, has acquired Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, which can now offer advanced services to lower Westchester.

Alliances with larger partners are also occurring with other Westchester hospitals. Montefiore has proposed to affiliate with White Plains Hospital; the arrangement now awaits state approval. North Shore-LIJ Health System ”” which became a national brand recently by becoming the exclusive New York partner of the Cleveland Clinic for cardiac care ”” is exploring an affiliation with Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco and Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow.

Another big player has expanded in Westchester. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which operates an outpatient facility in Sleepy Hollow, is opening a larger treatment center in Harrison. The Montefiore Einstein Center for the Aging Brain, a geriatric mental acuity center, has opened in Yonkers. Construction continues in Purchase on Westmed”™s new 85,000-square-foot primary and specialty care facility, where it can meet the public”™s desire for one-stop medical care.

At the same time, Westchester Medical Center continues as a major tertiary care facility and teaching hospital. Just weeks ago, it received a $1 million grant from New York state”™s Delivery System Reform Incentive Program to develop a system to integrate provider performance.

Where do we go from here?

Health care will remain a big regional economic driver and magnet to attract more innovative companies to the county. The Westchester County Association will continue to support and abet further growth.

Marissa Brett is president of the Westchester County Association. She can be reached at 914-948-6444 or mbrett@westchester.org.