LeadingAge NY Meets with Commissioner of Health James McDonald

LeadingAge NY and other provider associations representing hospitals and nursing homes met with Acting Commissioner of Health James McDonald last week to discuss nursing home issues. In a wide-ranging conversation, the Commissioner demonstrated his understanding of the importance of nursing home care and the challenges that providers face. He emphasized his commitment to working collaboratively with providers to mitigate those challenges. He is interested in gathering innovative strategies from the long term care community. The Commissioner also noted that the Department is planning a relaxation of the COVID-19 Health Emergency Response Data System (HERDS) surveys in the near future.

Acting Commissioner McDonald began serving as Health Commissioner in January 2023 and was nominated to be Commissioner in March. He has not yet been confirmed by the State Senate. A native of Cohoes, NY, McDonald is a pediatrician and worked in the Rhode Island Department of Health before returning to NY.

Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org