Adirondack Health director Chandler Ralph — head of the hospital that includes medical facilities located primarily Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, and Saranac Lake — unveiled a plan today that will swiftly change the medical and senior care climate in the North Country.<\/p>\n
The non-profit will mothball the Lake Placid Hospital, which was built in the 1950s, transferring operations there to an expanded campus on the 13-acre property nearby that now includes the Uihlein nursing home.<\/p>\n
As part of the cost-cutting plan, Ralph says Adirondack Health will also eliminate roughly half of their nursing home beds over the next 12-24 months.<\/p>\n
Roughly sixty beds will go, all of them currently occupied by seniors and other people needing intensive assisted care.\u00a0 According to Ralph, low Medicaid reimbursements for those patients has cost the organization more than $1 million annually.<\/p>\n
“We will still take Medicaid admissions, but it won’t be all comers as it is now,” Ralph said.<\/p>\n
Asked what would happen to poor people who need nursing home care, Ralph said that Adirondack Health hopes to help improve the network of care programs — provided by volunteers, churches, governmental agencies, and other groups — that help seniors remain in their homes as long as possible.<\/p>\n
But Ralph acknowledged that when people who rely on Medicaid reach the point where a nursing home is necessary, Uihlein wil likely no longer be an option.<\/p>\n
This development comes one day before Essex County votes on whether to privatize the Horace Nye nursing home in Elizabethtown.<\/p>\n
Part of the debate there centers on the question of whether a for-profit company would accept Medicaid patients in the future.<\/p>\n
Speaking today, Ralph suggested that reimbursements from Albany are so low, that a growing number of private and public nursing homes have been forced to end admissions of Medicaid-funded residents.<\/p>\n
Here’s the full press release with details of the Adirondack Health proposal:<\/p>\n
\nSARANAC<\/strong> \u2013 The Adirondack Health Board of Trustees is moving forward to design a new vision of health care services to be provided on the Uihlein Living Center campus in response to the evolving needs of the Tri-Lakes community.<\/p>\n
The complete details are yet to be fully defined, however, one certainty is that family members can be confident the care and quality of life for current residents at the Living Center remains a top priority.<\/p>\n
The vision for the integrated medical campus includes a full continuum of post-hospital care services, assisted living, a medical fitness center, right-sizing the skilled nursing beds gradually over time, and the relocation of hospital based and clinic services now located in Lake Placid to the Uihlein campus.<\/p>\n
A medical fitness center will provide a wide range of services to all age groups, including adult fitness programs, performance programs for athletes, senior programs, weight management and special populations programs.<\/p>\n
The Placid Memorial Hospital was constructed in 1952, and is not configured to provide 21st Century medicine.\u00a0\u00a0 Creating a new facility on the Uihlein Campus would support the kind of primary and emergency care the community requires, and would generate operating efficiencies through shared services.<\/p>\n
Adirondack Health has already met with existing community based services and senior housing providers in order to develop a strong partnership.\u00a0 All of the potential stakeholders in this partnership are excited about the opportunity to establish a robust set of programs and relationships that will be needed to realize the vision.<\/p>\n
Nationally, there has been a steady decline in the demand for long term care beds driven by a preference for in-home care and other community based services allowing people to \u201cage in place.\u201d\u00a0 By 2020, the population of Essex County age 65 and older is projected to increase by approximately 16 percent. Adirondack Health must improve its ability to provide innovative services to meet the growing demand for health care services in our community over the next several years.<\/p>\n
Adirondack Health experienced a $1.6 million shortfall in 2011, which is largely attributed to inadequate Medicaid reimbursements for its Living Centers in Lake Placid and Tupper Lake.\u00a0 Despite attempts address the reimbursement issues, there has been no action by the State to improve the rates and the current situation is unsustainable.\u00a0 The Board and leadership of Adirondack Health are committed to sound financial stewardship of the entire organization and want to be positioned to have available resources to invest in a variety of needed programs and services.<\/p>\n
The Board recognizes the future of Adirondack Health requires a constant focus on service line improvements and other efficiencies to successfully continue its mission of providing comprehensive and compassionate health care services to the community.\u00a0 The changes at the Uihlein campus will better position Adirondack Health for future growth in response to community need. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are optimistic about the future course the board has set,\u201d remarked Chandler Ralph, President & CEO of Adirondack Health.\u00a0 \u201cWe understand that change is unsettling; positions will change and new positions will be created.\u00a0 We believe the new opportunities that will emerge from this important investment in the future will benefit the patients, residents, staff and community as we establish a stronger platform for the future growth of Adirondack Health.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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