A Message From Our Acting CEO
Fall is fully upon us as we look to the 2024 elections, the end of the year, the coming of 2025, a new session of Congress, a new Presidential administration, and a new State legislative session. As we prepare for these events and navigate the recent changes with Gary Fitzgerald’s retirement after 34 steadfast years of leading IHA, there is one common and unwavering goal. That is to make certain that IHA remains the strongest advocate for hospitals and health systems in rural and Upstate New York!
We continue to share with policymakers the staffing and fiscal needs of hospitals and health systems in Upstate and rural New York. We are urging immediate steps to: allow flexibilities in temporary licensure of professionals; join the interstate licensing compact; provide appropriate resources to address and prevent workplace violence; continue and increase Medicaid funding as well as supportive funding like the directed payment template (DPT) for Upstate hospitals, VAP and VAPAP; provide recruitment and retention funding for upstate hospitals; and provide a new round of funding to address the infrastructure needs of hospitals Upstate.
In a recent meeting with Governor Hochul’s Commission on the Future of Health Care, IHA was dogged in making the point that the needs of Upstate are different than those elsewhere in the State. This is a point that was clearly acknowledged and resonated with the Commission, and one which we will continue to deliver.
On the horizon for 2025 it appears that the clinical staffing committee law implementation and a debate of hospital staffing rations will be a serious issue. IHA will continue to voice our concerns and opposition to these policies. One only need to look at the impact staffing mandates have had in the long-term care sector. There we have seen reduced occupancy that has sent reverberations across the healthcare continuum creating a chain reaction that leaves individuals in the hospital who no longer have need for acute medical treatment and would be better served in nursing homes. This prevents admissions of those needing acute care, creates back-ups in emergency departments, disrupts community emergency medical services and negatively impacts on medical transports. This must stop. A new staffing mandate for hospitals will only make things worse.
With Gary’s retirement we may be navigating change, but our core values remain the same. Our enduring mission is to be the unparalleled advocate for hospitals and health systems in rural and Upstate New York.