DOH Solicits Letters of Interest for Safety Net Transformation Program
(Aug. 13, 2024) The Department of Health has requested Letters of Interest for funding under the Safety Net Transformation Program enacted as part of the 2024-25 State Budget. The program is intended to support the transformation of safety net hospitals to improve access, equity, quality, and outcomes, while increasing their financial sustainability, by encouraging partnerships with other organizations. LeadingAge NY members may be interested in partnering with safety net hospitals under this program.
To qualify for the program, in addition to partnering with another organization, a safety net hospital must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- be a public hospital, a rural emergency hospital, critical access hospital, or sole community hospital; or
- have at least 30% of its inpatient discharges made up of medical assistance program eligible individuals, uninsured individuals or medical assistance program dually eligible individuals and at least 35% of its outpatient visits made up of medical assistance program eligible individuals, uninsured individuals, or medical assistance program dually eligible individuals; or
- serve at least 30% of the residents of a county or a multi-county area who are medical assistance program eligible individuals, uninsured individuals, or medical assistance program duallly eligible individuals; or
- in the discretion of the commissioner, serve a significant population of medical assistance program eligible individuals, uninsured individuals, or medical assistance program dually eligible individuals.
Eligible partners for safety net hospitals for purposes of this program may include:
- health systems,
- hospitals,
- health plans,
- residential health care facilities,
- physician groups,
- community-based organizations, or
- other identified healthcare entities that can serve as partners in the transformation of the safety net hospital.
Eligible partner organizations should also have a history of regulatory compliance, be in good financial standing, and be in good standing in terms of participation in the Hospital Capacity Direct Access program, if applicable.
The application forms for the program have not yet been released, but must be submitted jointly by the applicant and the partner organization. In advance of the release of the application forms, safety net hospitals and their potential partners “currently interested in applying . . . must submit a Letter of Interest, which details” specified information (set forth here).
The Letter of Interest must include a description of the collaborative model proposed and a description of the transformation plan. Applicants may also request the waiver of certain regulations, if a waiver would allow applicants to implement the proposed project more effectively or efficiently. The Department’s Safety Net Transformation web page does not include a deadline for the submission of Letters of Interest.
Awards will be made on a rolling basis and may include capital funding, operating subsidies, or a combination of both.
The Department requests that inquiries relating to the Safety Net Transformation Program be submitted here by Mon., Aug. 26 for inclusion in a Questions and Answers document. More information is available here.
Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org