Kingston, N.Y., – November 20, 2013 – Representatives from HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley’s Board of Directors and executive team presented the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) an updated plan for HealthAlliance’s ongoing consolidation efforts to ensure access to high quality healthcare in Ulster County. An initiative in the works since early summer, this plan has been designed to deliver better patient care and an improved overall patient experience through the complete redesign of HealthAlliance’s facilities and delivery of services.
“The healthcare landscape, whether it is national, state, or local, is rapidly changing and in order to be successful it is incumbent on us to embrace those changes,” says President and Chief Executive Officer David Scarpino. “We are entering a period where quality, cost, and convenience are the forces driving the delivery of healthcare.”
With $6.5 million awarded by the state, HealthAlliance’s NYSDOH-approved plan aims to first collaborate with future system affiliates and partner with community physicians. In doing so, the patient care delivery model will expand to include other acute care partners and non-hospital providers such as long-term care, mental health and home health providers – providing an all- encompassing medical perimeter for the community.
The revised approach entails a deliberate and community-focused shift in priorities, adapting to the current forces of healthcare, which will focus primarily on outcomes involving efficient, high-quality care. By refocusing priorities, both the Department of Health and HealthAlliance expect this optimized model to offer a more viable, long-term infrastructure, and help ensure future access and investment in services.
The plan includes developing an aligned physician network, which will enable collaboration among a unified group of physicians. HealthAlliance plans to work with these physicians to improve coordination and communication of patient care, and develop best practices using advanced information systems to measure outcomes. This process aims to positively impact patient satisfaction and clinical results while reducing costs associated with waste and inefficiency.
Sustained efforts in identifying an affiliate are expected to support the physician alignment process. Currently, HealthAlliance continues discussions with several potential corporate partners such as Albany County-based Albany Medical Center, Dutchess County-based Health Quest, and Montefiore Medical Center based out of the Bronx. Each prospect offers different strengths to a partnership. Overall benefits of an affiliate partnership are expected to include, providing physicians with tools to enhance their practices and aid in adapting to new patient care models and innovations, giving HealthAlliance access to physician specialists in areas in which recruiting was previously difficult, and providing funding that will allow HealthAlliance to invest in employees, facilities and equipment.
The preceding stages of identifying an affiliate and physician alignment, both platforms for growth, will serve as forces in determining the outcome of the overall consolidation and facility redesign of HealthAlliance.
HealthAlliance appreciates the support of its elected officials throughout the transformation process. Both New York Assemblyman Kevin Cahill and Ulster County Executive Mike Hein individually reached out to NYS officials to express their support of HealthAlliance’s plan. The HealthAlliance Board of Directors, also in full support of this new approach, shares their enthusiasm for the future of the hospital and its mission to provide a better patient experience and better patient care at a more affordable cost for all.
“We are in a very exciting time, despite the challenges, and I am confident that our executive team and board of directors will lead us through,” says board president Kevin Ryan. “The opportunity for us to partner with an affiliate and to more closely align with our skilled medical staff is the key to effectively transforming healthcare in our community.”
About HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley®
HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley® is the alignment of HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary’s Avenue Campus and Broadway Campus, as well as Margaretville Hospital, Mountainside Residential Care Center and Woodland Pond at New Paltz. As the parent organization with a unified governance structure, the goal of HealthAlliance is to strengthen the quality of care and bring forward enhanced technology to serve the present and future healthcare needs in the Hudson Valley. HealthAlliance and its affiliate facilities are committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care and ensuring patient safety, privacy and dignity to all. For further information about HealthAlliance visit our web site at www.HAHV.org.
