THE NASSAU HEALTH CARE CORPORATION RECEIVES $5M, THROUGH THE HEAL NY PHASE 8 RESIDENTIAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY RIGHTSIZING DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR THE A. HOLLY PATTERSON EXTENDED CARE FACILITY IN UNIONDALE, TO FACILITATE THE DOWNSIZING OF AHP FROM 589 BEDS TO THE NEW, SOON TO BE CONSTRUCTED 320 BED SKILLED NURSING FACILITY AND FOR BRINGING ABOUT HIGH QUALITY AND EFFICIENT HEALTH CARE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF AHP
October 2, 2008
Contact: Shelley Lotenberg
(516) 572-6055
shelley@numc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
THE NASSAU HEALTH CARE CORPORATION RECEIVES $5M, THROUGH THE HEAL NY PHASE 8 RESIDENTIAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY RIGHTSIZING DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR THE A. HOLLY PATTERSON EXTENDED CARE FACILITY IN UNIONDALE, TO FACILITATE THE DOWNSIZING OF AHP FROM 589 BEDS TO THE NEW, SOON TO BE CONSTRUCTED 320 BED SKILLED NURSING FACILITY AND FOR BRINGING ABOUT HIGH QUALITY AND EFFICIENT HEALTH CARE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF AHP
RECEIVING $5M IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO AHP’S FUTURE AND A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE NHCC, AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD DEMONSTRATING THAT NEW YORK STATE OFFICIALS BELIEVE IN THE VIABILITY OF THE NHCC’S STRATEGIC PLAN, ITS MODERNIZATION PROGRAM AND ITS SUCCESS IN TURNING AROUND NASSAU’S ONLY PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
East Meadow, NY…..Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the Nassau Health Care Corporation, announced that the New York State Department of Health and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York had awarded $5M in a Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY) under the Residential Health Care Facility Rightsizing Demonstration Program (HEAL NY Phase 8) to assist the NHCC in achieving a reduction in certified bed capacity at the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale. The HEAL NY Phase 8 funding is being provided to ten nursing homes in New York State to assist them in complying with the mandates of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, known as the Berger Commission.
“HEAL NY projects support the core of New York’s health care reforms by strengthening primary care, supporting further consolidations, and further implementing Berger Commission recommendations to bring efficiency and effectiveness to New York’s health-care system,” said Governor Paterson. “These awards will help improve access to health care in our cities, towns and villages, and bring smart investments that will cut down on wasteful spending by directing funding to the best solutions for health care in New York State.”
In expressing his appreciation and gratitude to New York State Governor Paterson and state officials for their confidence in the viability of the NHCC strategic plan, its modernization program and its success in turning around Nassau’s only public health system, Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO stated: “Receiving notification that the NHCC has been awarded $5M under the HEAL NY Phase 8 award is indeed very welcome news from the State of New York and very important to the future of Nassau County’s only safety-net hospital and nursing home. It will assist us in continuing our emphasis on improving services for AHP residents and in rightsizing AHP by achieving a reduction in certified bed capacity as we move from 589 beds to a new soon-to-be-constructed 320 bed skilled nursing facility.”
“We have made great strides in recent years to continue our emphasis on quality care and this funding will enable us to further improve our services for AHP residents as we downsize.”
Phase 8 of the HEAL NY grant program provides funds on a competitive basis to hospitals and nursing homes that have demonstrated a willingness to invest in the restructuring and reconfiguration of their facilities to further improve the delivery of quality care to patients. This is part of a very large effort, being undertaken by the State to right-size and strengthen New York’s health care system.
Larry Slatky, Senior Vice President for AHP stated: “These funds will assist us in adhering to the Berger Commission recommendations. We thank our state officials for working cooperatively with us as we continue the process of reducing our license bed capacity.”
Mr. Gianelli expressed his appreciation to New York State officials and to those involved in the submission of the successful grant application, especially George Kalkines and Jeff Thrope from Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips: “A great deal of appreciation must go to our state officials, the NHCC leadership team that pulled together to work on this application and to the Manatt consulting team, led by George Kalkines and Jeff Thrope, who truly drove the grant application process and submitted a very credible response on our behalf, helping us to obtain $5M to help calibrate capacity, facilitate the downsizing of AHP, leading to promoting financial stability and ensuring that any reduction in residential capacity will protect the safety of the residents,” concluded Mr. Gianelli.