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.

Council Member At Large Jeff Russell, Council Member Andrew Faulkner, Police Chief Tim Jackson

Concerns over police staffing and use of police officers at UPMC were discussed at Jamestown City Council‘s work session Monday night.

Lieutenant Sam Piazza, speaking at privilege of the floor, said that 65 officers is full staffing for the department and right now they only have 56, “We’re currently in need of four officers to be hired, to be compliant with the police impact staffing award that is agreed between the police union and the city. The staffing levels include police officers, detectives, supervisors, two captains, and the Chief’s actually included in the staffing criteria.”

Piazza said a military member on leave and a School Resource Officer count in that current staffing even though they’re either not active or available for use in road patrols. He added two officers are assigned light duty due to illness or injury as well.

Piazza said the case load is overwhelming in the department and is contributing to retention and recruitment issues, “This is not just a problem in the City of Jamestown. This is a problem all across the country. You see it on the news, you see it everywhere else. We’ve talked about it at City Council meetings. We’ve talked about it in private meetings, in negotiations. It’s here, gentleman. It’s here.”

Council member at large Kim Ecklund requested that details be provided to council regarding the number of police calls and arrests.

Council member at large Jeff Russell brought up a concern following the recent serious injury of a Jamestown Police Officer by a patient at UMPC about what happens when officers respond to the hospital. He said due to liability concerns, former Police Chief Harry Snellings had ended the practice about five years ago where officers would help physically restrain patients at the hospital so that they could be chemically medicated, “Yet I don’t agree with the practice of the Police Department being called down to the ER and asked to physically restrain a patient so that a chemical restraint can take place. And if that is taking place now, or it’s happening again, then I encourage the Chief, I encourage your Command Staff, to meet with the hospital, and refuse to do that anymore.”

Police Chief Tim Jackson confirmed that Officers are helping assist, if needed while responding to the call, with restraining patients so they can be medicated. Both Council members Russell and Marie Carrubba expressed concern over why the security team hired by UPMC wasn’t being used for these practices.

Council President Tony Dolce ended the discussion recommending that due to contractual and possibly confidentiality issues that City Administration and UPMC discuss the policy concerns.

Last week WCA Hospital and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) announced that the integration agreement was finalized and approved by New York State.  The move allows WCA to integrate into the UPMC network. The change also brings a new name to WCA, which will now be known as UPMC Chautauqua WCA.

UPMC Chautauqua WCA is the first New York State hospital and the first hospital outside of Pennsylvania to integrate with world-renowned UPMC, based in Pittsburgh.

As part of the signed agreement, UPMC will invest at least $25 million over the next 10 years to support WCA’s mission. UPMC also has agreed to relieve WCA’s debt and cover its pension obligations, freeing up significant additional monies for WCA development.

UPMC Chautauqua WCA will continue to operate as an acute-care community hospital providing high-quality inpatient, outpatient and emergency department services to the Chautauqua County region.

WCA President/CEO Betsy Wright said the move positions to hospital to become stronger than ever, calling the integration the culmination of a five-year process of assessing the future of health care for Jamestown and meeting the challenges of today’s evolving health care industry.

The Establishment and Project Review Committee for the state Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) reviewed and approved the application for UPMC Chautauqua Services Inc. to become the active parent and cooperator of WCA.

Prior to acting on the agreement, the Jamestown Post-Journal reports that there was a public hearing and representatives from three unions were on hand to speak against the merger, questioning UPMC about its insurance agreements and access to health care. The controller of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania also spoke against the merger, criticizing UPMC for exploiting loopholes and manipulating the health care system to drive out competition.

Despite the concerns, the board moved forward with approving the agreement with one member explaining that no alternative options have been suggested by those who oppose the merger.

“We are very excited and appreciative of the state’s approval to move forward,” said WCA president/CEO Betsy Wright.  “This is a great day for WCA and UPMC and more importantly, the citizens that we are so privileged to serve in southern Chautauqua County.  We are one more step closer to the integration of the two health systems.  We continue to work through the final regulatory process which is contingent upon approvals from the New York State Office of Mental Health and New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.”

According to WCA Hospital, the next regulatory steps include approvals from the New York State Office of Mental Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

In December, WCA and UPMC officials announced the signing of an affiliation to integrate agreement. Once finalized, WCA Hospital will be the first New York state hospital to integrate with UPMC.

Once an agreement has been finalized, the new title for the health care facility will be UPMC Chautauqua at WCA.

In May the Establishment and Project Review Committee for the state Public Health and Health Planning Council met to discuss several applications, including one from WCA.

The application was for state approval for UPMC Chautauqua Services Inc. to become the active parent and cooperator of the hospital.

The committee opted to table the request, based on some late public comment that had arrived regarding the agreement.

The committee will meet again today and will likely take up the proposed merger.

In December, WCA and UPMC officials announced the signing of an affiliation to integrate agreement. If approved, WCA Hospital will be the first New York state hospital to integrate with UPMC. The new title for the health care facility will be UPMC Chautauqua at WCA.

WCA Board Chair Steve Kilburn announces an affiliate agreement between WCA and UPMC during a special event Thursday, Dec. 17 at WCA Hospital in Jamestown, NY.

JAMESTOWN, NY – WCA Hospital will join the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), becoming the first New York hospital to join the $12 billion Pennsylvania health system.

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The announcement came Thursday afternoon from both WCA and UPMC representatives during an event at the hospital. WCA board chairman Steve Kilburn called it a big win for the community.

“Today is a very exciting big day, and a big win for WCA and for our whole community, Jamestown and Chautauqua County,” Kilburn said. “We have announced today that WCA hospital has entered into an affiliation agreement that will fully integrate WCA Hospital within the UPMC network, which is a world-class healthcare system.”

The new affiliation agreement announced on Thursday builds on a relationship that began in 2012 with UPMC when a partial affiliation agreement was reached. And while the officials from either UPMC or WCA chose to refer to Thursday’s announcement as an affiliation agreement rather than a merger, the deal moves in that direction.

UPMC will invest at least $25 million over the next 10 years to support recruitment and retention of physicians, as well as upgrades to facilities, programs and infrastructure, including information technology and electronic medical records capabilities. It has also agreed to relieve WCA’s debt and cover its pension obligations, freeing up significant additional monies for WCA development.

Kilburn said that there isn’t expected to be any immediate changes regarding hospital staff or administration, although there could be a change in the name of the facility.

“As a result of this integration, which are looking forward to finalizing in the second half of 2016, the name of this facility will become ‘UPMC Chautauqua at WCA,'” Kilburn said.

WCA Struggling Financially in Recent Years

According to Buffalo’s Business First news journal, WCA have struggled to meet state and federal reform obligations. WCA ended 2014 with a small surplus on revenue of $93 million, down slightly from $96 million the prior year, a year that also included a $1 million deficit. The hospital’s net assets dropped from $23 million to $8 million. The affiliation with UPMC is expected to help stabilize finances at WCA and eventually help to expand healthcare services at the local level.

UPMC Senior Vice President Leslie Davis said that UPMC has helped to transform other affiliate hospitals, with 18 different hospitals now being part of the UPMC network.

“UPMC really is a combination of 18 mergers and each one is fairly different. We’re very respectful of the community we work with. We’re respectful of the board and understanding that each geography is somewhat different,” Davis told WRFA following the announcement.

Hospital officials say that the state must first review and approve the affiliation agreement before it is finalized, which could take place by late spring or early summer.