ALBANY - Hospitals and nursing homes in New York will be ranked according to their priority for closure or restructuring by January, a panel said Thursday.
The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, charged with evaluating facilities and making recommendations to the state Health Department, plans to issue ratings of high, medium or low priority.
“This is not a hit list,” said David Sandman, executive director of the commission. “Being labeled high priority doesn't necessarily mean that hospital will face closure or restructuring, and being low priority doesn't mean it won't.”
Evaluations will be based on a set of six criteria: service to vulnerable population, availability of services, quality of care, utilization, viability and economic impact.
For example, the commission will consider as part of “availability of services” whether the facility provides comprehensive care or is the sole provider of a specific type of care in a region.
After hospitals receive their rankings, the commission will analyze possible closure or restructuring scenarios over the next six months.
Final recommendations are expected in December 2006.
Sandman said the commission does not have a numerical target on how many beds it wants to close. While some regions in the state have an overabundance of services, he pointed out that others do not have enough.
“It's not just a numbers game. If it was, we'd have a computer, not a commission.” The criteria were outlined to establish transparency and ensure that the process didn't “come across as a secret black hole,” Sandman said.
At the Thursday meeting in New York City, the commission also tabled discussion on a proposal to freeze any major hospital projects until it finalizes its recommendations next year.
Hospital groups argued the plan could be a blow to facilities in New York, which are already struggling to compete with hospitals in neighboring states.
The commission was created as part of the 2005-06 budget.
“This is not a hit list,” said David Sandman, executive director of the commission. “Being labeled high priority doesn't necessarily mean that hospital will face closure or restructuring, and being low priority doesn't mean it won't.”
Evaluations will be based on a set of six criteria: service to vulnerable population, availability of services, quality of care, utilization, viability and economic impact.
For example, the commission will consider as part of “availability of services” whether the facility provides comprehensive care or is the sole provider of a specific type of care in a region.
After hospitals receive their rankings, the commission will analyze possible closure or restructuring scenarios over the next six months.
Final recommendations are expected in December 2006.
Sandman said the commission does not have a numerical target on how many beds it wants to close. While some regions in the state have an overabundance of services, he pointed out that others do not have enough.
“It's not just a numbers game. If it was, we'd have a computer, not a commission.” The criteria were outlined to establish transparency and ensure that the process didn't “come across as a secret black hole,” Sandman said.
At the Thursday meeting in New York City, the commission also tabled discussion on a proposal to freeze any major hospital projects until it finalizes its recommendations next year.
Hospital groups argued the plan could be a blow to facilities in New York, which are already struggling to compete with hospitals in neighboring states.
The commission was created as part of the 2005-06 budget.
