UR Medicine Partners Receive $21.8M in NYS Health Care Transformation Grants

Four hospitals associated with UR Medicine will receive a total of $21.8 million in state grants to improve services and facilities for patients, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced.

The Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program supports projects that are part of an overall plan to create financially sustainable systems of care. For UR Medicine, the grants help to reinforce the health network’s efforts to create a collaborative health system among Rochester and hospitals in Livingston, Northern Steuben and Allegany counties.

The hospitals receiving grants include:

• Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester – $1.88 million to expand crisis stabilization and addiction services in Monroe County, including a 24/7 phone triage available to all community providers, further development of mobile crisis services, and additional crisis beds for patients who require short-term transitional care.
• Jones Memorial Hospital, Wellsville - $5.7 million to implement a new electronic medical record system (EMR) that will integrate Jones into the UR Medicine EMR system, allowing seamless access and exchange of patient information among all system providers.
• Noyes Memorial Hospital, Dansville - $6.3 million that also will be used to implement an EMR system integrated with the UR Medicine system.
• St. James Mercy Hospital, Hornell – UR Medicine provides some services and has been exploring a formal affiliation agreement with this hospital, which was awarded $7.9 million that will be used to support development of a new hospital campus.

“These grants help to close the gap between what’s needed by those we serve and what’s affordable based on our operations. This funding will help us build an infrastructure that works better for patients and providers, and furthers our efforts to address daunting behavioral health challenges,” said Mark B. Taubman, M.D., CEO of UR Medicine.

“I want to thank Gov. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for their support in helping us facilitate a broad, comprehensive delivery system transformation plan across several systems in a manner that ensures that these hospitals remain the cornerstone of local health care by strengthening services for patients across the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier.”

The State’s news release explains that the funds are intended to reduce health care costs and improve outcomes by expanding access to inpatient, primary, preventative and other ambulatory care services as part of regionally integrated health care delivery systems.

“Now, more than ever, we need to protect health care in New York and ensure the system in place is meeting the needs of current and future generations of New Yorkers,” Cuomo said last night. “While others seek to decimate our hospitals and reduce access to quality health care, we are investing to help ensure a stronger, healthier New York for all.”