Editorial — Wellness gets a boost: State grants will benefit hospitals, health care organizations

“New Yorkers deserve access to quality health care and a strong, stable and equitable health care system,” Hochul said. “These grants will provide critical funding for improvements at hospitals and other facilities throughout our state to ensure they deliver the top rate care New Yorkers deserve.”

Information from the state DOH identified the following projects as receiving grants:

In Central New York, Oswego Hospital received $9 million to construct a health center in partnership with ConnextCare, a federally qualified health center, that will co-locate primary care and ancillary facilities and increase access to comprehensive health care. The Manor at Seneca Hill in Oswego was awarded $574,231 to purchase equipment to promote telehealth services and improve hands-free communication among staff members.

In the north country, Canton-Postdam Hospital received funding for two projects: $7 million for a capital project to preserve and expand obstetric services in the region, including rural lactation and childbirth education; and $3 million to construct a new family medicine clinic and training center for the family medicine rural residency program. Malone-based Citizen Advocates was awarded $7.4 million for capital improvements to consolidate and expand services at the Massena clinic and certified community behavioral health clinic sites that will include physical health integration into behavioral health settings, on-site pharmacy, a telemedicine hub and a fitness center.

Clifton-Fine Health Care Corp. in Star Lake received $16.2 million for capital improvements to upgrade and modernize the hospital’s infrastructure to improve patient safety and welfare. River Hospital in Alexandria Bay was awarded $10.7 million for capital improvements to upgrade infrastructure and accommodate program growth. And St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Lake was awarded $1.7 million to purchase and renovate or construct rehabilitation centers at Tupper Lake and Elizabethtown clinic properties and further integrate substance use disorder and mental health services.

“The Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program is aimed at supporting efforts to reduce health care costs and improve the health outcomes of New Yorkers by expanding access to inpatient, primary, [preventive] and other ambulatory care services as part of regionally integrated health care delivery systems. These awards are also focused on projects [that] will help ensure the financial sustainability of safety net health care providers and the preservation or expansion of essential health care services,” the news release reported. “The funding announced [Feb. 15] was awarded under the second phase of the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program III and the first phase of Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program IV. In total, New York state has awarded nearly $1.68 billion in total funding through the program. The state will award an additional $1.15 billion through additional phases of statewide IV. Additionally, Gov. Hochul’s [fiscal year] 2024 executive budget includes $1 billion in additional funding to establish Statewide V.”

These funds will go a long way toward enhancing health care services for individuals throughout our region. Congratulations to the facilities that received the grants, which will benefit numerous residents.