N.Y. Public Health Law § 2807-i: Service and quality improvement grants

§ 2807-i. Service and quality improvement grants. 1. Grants to

facilitate cooperative ventures for sharing administrative, management

and operational services. a. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision

of law to the contrary, within amounts available therefor, the

commissioner shall make grants pursuant to this subdivision to eligible

applicants to facilitate cooperative ventures for sharing

administrative, management and operational services among general

hospitals and other health care providers. Funded projects shall include

two or more hospitals and may also include other health care providers

in coordination with those hospitals. Funded projects shall be designed

to demonstrate the extent to which such cooperative arrangements would

result in a reduction in costs to the facilities involved.

b. In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this subdivision,

applicants shall prepare and submit to the commissioner a proposal at

such time, in such manner and containing such information as the

commissioner may require, including:

(i) a statement that such providers desire to negotiate and enter into

a voluntary agreement;

(ii) a description of the nature and scope of the activities

contemplated in the cooperative agreement;

(iii) a description of the financial arrangement between the providers

that are parties to the agreement;

(iv) a description of the geographic area generally served by the

providers;

(v) a description of the anticipated benefits and advantages to

providers and to health care consumers;

(vi) a description of how the proposal will be coordinated with the

regional health plan; and

(vii) any other information determined appropriate by the

commissioner.

c. In awarding grants under this subdivision, the commissioner shall

assure that there is a sufficiently representative geographic and size

distribution of grantees, including urban, rural and suburban grantees.

d. Amounts provided under a grant awarded under this subdivision shall

only be used for the planning of cooperative ventures and shared

services.

e. Grantees shall submit reports to the commissioner in such form and

at such times as the commissioner may by regulation require, for the

purpose of evaluating the operations and results of such program.

f. The commissioner in evaluating proposals pursuant to this section

shall give primary consideration to the financial condition of

applicants; provided however, that an applicant's financial condition

shall not be the sole grounds for approval or rejection.

2. Management information systems grants. Notwithstanding any

inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, within amounts available

therefor, the commissioner shall make grants pursuant to this

subdivision to general hospitals, not to exceed two hundred thousand

dollars per hospital, for the purposes of expanding and improving their

information management capabilities. In order to be eligible for grants

pursuant to this subdivision, general hospitals which have experienced

operating losses for the past two consecutive years, provided such

operating losses have been at least two percent of such hospital's

operating expenses, shall submit proposals which demonstrate that:

a. hospital management, productivity, and operations would be enhanced

by improvements to the hospital's current management information system

capabilities;

b. the cost of providing services would be contained or patient access

to care or the quality of patient care would be improved;

c. such hospital's clinical, management and finance information

systems would be integrated; and

d. cost finding and cost accounting capabilities would be enhanced.

3. Continuous quality improvement grants. Grants shall be awarded to

general hospitals, within amounts available therefor, to establish

programs to improve quality assurance activities. Such programs shall

seek to promote and encourage continuous quality improvement by

integrating traditional medical staff review functions with risk

management and infection control activities. Grants shall be used to

support the following:

a. the establishment of a mission statement, an accompanying long term

strategic plan and allocation of institutional resources which reflect

the institution's commitment to continuous quality improvement;

b. the establishment of quality improvement activities which will

enhance all institutional processes, including clinical, managerial and

support functions;

c. activities which support a multidisciplinary collaborative approach

to quality improvement;

d. integration of management information systems to improve health

care delivery; and

e. an educational program on continuous quality improvement to inform

staff of the institution's mission and plan for quality.

4. Equitable distribution. Funding shall as far as practicable be

equitably distributed among applicants in urban, suburban and rural

areas of the state.