U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announces potential funding increase for NYS hospitals (May 5, 2023)

Changes to Medicare payments could result in Chautauqua County hospitals receiving $14.1 million more a year in federal funding.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rules change could have an estimated annual nearly $1 billion impact for increased payments to upstate New York hospitals.

He explained that CMS proposes to amend the Medicare formula for hospitals, which for years have received less than the national average for the services they provide.

The estimated increases for hospitals in the county include UPMC Chautauqua receiving an additional $9,836,225; Brooks-TLC Hospital System receiving $3,444,566; and Westfield Memorial Hospital receiving an additional $850,340.

Schumer said this readjusted number will equate to much better healthcare in the state, “It will mean the ability to have more doctors to be attracted to our hospitals. More nurses, we’ve heard about the shortages of doctors and nurses, but they will be able to be there. It’s going to mean lower waiting times for people. It’s going to mean you’re going to be able to get an appointment more quickly. The amount of money going to our hospitals is well-deserved, is so large that just about every aspect of healthcare will improve.”

Schumer said he’s optimistic the change will be approved in August 2023. He added that hospitals would continue to receive these additional amounts each year and that there are no restrictions on how the funding can be used.

TCC CEO Mike Pease said through the 340b program, TCC has the ability to offer prescriptions at a greatly reduced price for patients, “And the second thing is, it offers another form of income for organizations like us as well as other health centers, hospitals systems, Ryan White clinics, most of us participate in this program. And we reinvest those dollars into programs like care coordination, case management, transportation, translation services – things we don’t traditionally get reimbursed for.”

Pease said while this is a federal program, former Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s 2021 budget introduce a measure to “carve out” the savings healthcare facilities receive and directed it back into the state coffers. That measure was put on hold due to the Pandemic, but is now part of Governor Kathy Hochul‘s budget and is set to go into effect April 1.

Pease said if this goes forward, it means a loss of over $2 million for TCC. According to a report by Buffalo Business First, Buffalo-based Evergreen Health could see $13 million in annual losses to its $117 million budget due to the changes. Business First reports that the change is expected to usher in a $250 million funding loss statewide, and hospitals across New York are predicting losses of $240 million. Pease said this also would affect UPMC Chautauqua and Brooks Memorial Hospital who have their own pharmacy programs.

Pease said TCC is part of the Save New York’s Safety Net Coalition, which has come up with an alternative proposal for the State Legislature, “On how we could continue to get the benefit of the program as health centers but also we would ensure that the program’s guidelines are being met from the standpoint of reinvesting those dollars into programs that are supportive, things like that. So, there is a way that this could benefit both the state, the community – which is the most important, as well as us as providers of those services.”

Pease added that both State Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andy Goodell have been supportive of the continuance 340b program.

UPMC Chautauqua

UPMC will receive $29,841,205 for capital improvements to expand and consolidate surgical services.

TCC will receive $1.25 million to purchase three existing primary care facilities in Dunkirk, Gowanda, and Forestville.

The funding being administered by the State Department of Health and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York is supposed to help improve patient care by supporting high-quality facilities serving the in-patient, primary care, mental health, substance use disorder and long-term care needs of communities throughout the state.

Face masks

The state Department of Health announced Friday that the mask mandate would expire Sunday, February 12. Health care facilities will be able to craft their own masking rules based on CDC guidance that takes local case counts, COVID transmission levels, and open hospital beds into account.

The CDC dropped its mask requirement for health care facilities last fall.

The latest from the DOH does not affect any facility requirements unrelated to COVID-19, including those in place for Influenza.

WRFA contacted UPMC Chautauqua and The Chautauqua Center on whether their mask requirements have changed.

Only TCC responded, stating they are not changing their masking policy. Masks are still required at TCC, Chautauqua PT & OT, and Tri-County Family Medicine until further review and notice.

The Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services (CCDHHS), Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Inc., UPMC Chautauqua and Allegheny Health Network Westfield were part of a greater Chautauqua County Community Health Planning Team that completed the plan.

The Community Health Assessment is done in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Prevention Agenda.

The assessment researched data trends in Chautauqua County, compared data trends across New York State, and provided a plan for the upcoming years to improve public health concerns.

The top four family and/or community health issues identified as concerns in Chautauqua County’s Health Survey were:

– Medical health (heart disease – high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack; diabetes; obesity; cancer; asthma; chronic lung disease; chronic pain management; etc. (75.55%),
– Mental health (stress; anxiety; depression; suicide; etc.) (66.52%),
– Environmental safety (food/water, neighborhood; roadway; safe and clean housing; etc. (56.75%),
– And drug/alcohol use disorders (49.45%).

The top four suggestions that might help communities make healthy choices and changes identified in the Community Health Survey were:

– Having groups in the community that encourage healthy habits (physical activity, nutrition, stress reduction, diabetes prevention, fall prevention, quitting tobacco/nicotine, etc. (53.48%),
– Having safe areas to play and exercise in the community (51.86%),
– Having more healthy food choices at local convenience stores (48.79%),
– And getting information about how to make healthy changes from social media, internet, newspapers and TV (44.05%).

All hospitals and the County Health and Human Services Department have agreed to collaborate to address the Prevent Chronic Diseases priority area with a focus on Tobacco Prevention. They also plan to work to decrease the prevalence of tobacco use by adolescents.

The plan states they also will work collaboratively with the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene in the area of Mental and Substance Use Disorders to prevent opioid deaths by increasing the availability and accessibility of Narcan.

Additionally, the County Health Department’s Environmental division will work to Promote a Healthy and Safe Environment by increasing the number of homes tested for radon and increasing educational efforts to increase blood lead testing rates.

And under the priority of “Promoting Healthy Women, Infants and Children” the group will focus on addressing the areas of perinatal and infant health (by increasing breastfeeding) and maternal and women’s health by enhancing collaboration with other programs, providers, agencies, and community members to address key social determinants of health that impact the health of women, infants, children, and families across the life course

More information about the New York State Prevention Agenda can be found at https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/2019-2024/.

You can find the full 2022-2024 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan on Chautauqua County’s website: https://chqgov.com/health-and-human-services/Annual-Reports.

UPMC

UPMC plans to raise the rate at its facilities in Southwest New York to $18 an hour by January 2026.

Those making $18 an hour and taking full advantage of UPMC’s salary and benefits package will earn the equivalent of $27 an hour.

Wages and benefits for UPMC employees represented by unions, will continue to be negotiated by their respective unions.

UPMC Chautauqua

The fair will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in UPMC Chautauqua’s Auditorium, located at 207 Foote Avenue.

This event is for both current employees and those interested in beginning a career at UPMC Chautauqua. There will be opportunities to interview in-person and the potential to receive a same-day job offer. UPMC said there are some jobs available that offer a sign-on bonus of up to $15,000.

To register for the job fair, click here.

For more information, contact Lisa Melquist at (716)-664-8232.

Pictured front row from left are Marilyn Zagora, vice president of Academic Affairs at SUNY JCC; Cecil Miller, vice president of operations at UPMC Chautauqua; and Brian Wilcox, program director at UPMC Chautauqua. Back Row from left Lillian Vitanza Ney, board member and chair of educational services committee at JCC; Ellen Lehning, professor and advisor for the JCC-UPMC Paramedic Agreement; Daniel DeMarte, president of SUNY JCC; Rob Smith, JCC adjunct instructor, Emergency Medical Technology; David Thomas, executive director at WCA services; Kathleen Whitmore, adjunct instructor, Personal Health and Safety at JCC.

Jamestown Community College and UPMC Chautauqua have signed an agreement to create a paramedicine program at the college.

The partnership will provide students the opportunity to earn 30 credits each from JCC and the UPMC Regional Paramedic program. Students who complete the JCC-UPMC program will earn New York State Health Department emergency medical technician certification and an Associate in Applied Science in Individual Studies from JCC.

UPMC Paramedic Program Director Brian Wilcox said the need nationwide for paramedics is critical, “We’re the youngest when you look at the history of the medical field. Paramedics were started to be certified in 1970, so it’s 52 years if my math is right. So, we don’t have the same reputation or normalcy as the nurses and LPN’s have, so we’ve always run a little bit behind the rest of them.”

JCC Biology professor Dr. Ellen Lehning said she’s already seen interest in the program, “But now, they can not only receive their certification and be able to provide that kind of care, but they can also receive a college degree. And we’re also hoping that students who might not feel that they can start right in in paramedicine or want to get their feet wet, we have a series of courses to lead them in paramedicine. So, they can check it out and grow within the field.”

The paramedicine program courses can be completed on the Jamestown Campus, a combination of the Jamestown Campus and online, or a combination of the Jamestown Campus, Cattaraugus County Campus, and online.

For more information, visit sunyjcc.edu/programs/partnerships/paramedic-upmc

Jamestown City Council work session (September 12, 2022)

City officials and local organizations are continuing to meet to work on ways to address rising homelessness in Jamestown.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist updated City Council on a meeting held Monday with organizations that are part of the county’s Homeless Coalition including the Salvation Army, UCAN Mission, Chautauqua Opportunities, Southern Tier Environments for Living, UPMC, and more, “What we’ve normally seen in the past is homelessness that includes folks that have been kicked out of shelters or have been sanctioned by the county or other providers for whatever violation of services they provided. We would normally see about 25 to 30, that’s what the last census was of homeless here in the city. We are finding encampments that can be up to 50 to 70 people. And we are trying to work to deal with it.”

Sundquist said part of the discussion included planning for winter given that individuals without housing often look for abandoned houses to break into in order to stay warm.

He said the city had a meeting scheduled with with local pastors Tuesday night to discuss homelessness and how the faith community can assist. A second Homeless Coalition meeting is scheduled for later this month.

The Department said a traumatic event can affect someone emotionally, physically, and mentally. Fear and anxiety about a traumatic event can overwhelm and cause strong emotions. Staff emphasized that these feelings are normal and that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations.

If you have seen or been through a traumatic event, Mental Hygiene offers the following tips that may be helpful:
– Talk to someone. Talking about it may feel uncomfortable, but it may help you feel better. Talk to friends, your partner, family, or a counselor. Talking about it is a step toward healing.
– Keep active. Physical activity is an excellent way to reduce stress. Go outside and get some fresh air.
– Do something that brings you joy. Spend time with your pets or get away to a spot where you feel your best.
– Eat well and get enough sleep to feel rested. Feeling physically healthy can help you feel emotionally strong.
– Avoid using alcohol or drugs as a way of coping.
– Avoid social media doom scrolling, and news broadcasts where messaging may be triggering.

If you are interested in receiving help for yourself or someone you are concerned about, community resources are available here:

Community Resources:
· Chautauqua County Crisis Hotline: 1-800-724-0461, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
· Chautauqua County Mental Hygiene Mobile Crisis Team : (716) 363-3684 available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ;
· Chautauqua County Mental Hygiene Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Jamestown: (716) 661-8330, Dunkirk: (716) 363-3550;
· UPMC Chautauqua Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, Dunkirk: (716) 363-0018, Jamestown (716) 664-8641;
· The Resource Center Mental Health Services, Jamestown: (716) 661-1590, Dunkirk: (716) 366-7660;
· Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County, Support and Linkages: (716) 661-9044;
· The Chautauqua Center, Jamestown: (716) 484-4334, Dunkirk (716) 363-6050;
· Family Service of the Chautauqua Region: 1-888-358-3899;
· NYS HOPEline , telephone support and referral line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to treat addictions. Text or call: 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369);
· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988;
· Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any crisis;
· Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website www.SAMHSA.gov can provide additional information and resources for mental health care. Their national Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is available 24/7, 365 days a year.