“Rightsizing Commission” Holds First Meeting in July

The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century held its first meeting in July in NYC and will meet again on September 21st again in NYC. Hospital and long term care providers from both rural and urban New York State are closely watching the group’s deliberations.

Some view the Commission as a legitimate opportunity to address many of the problems facing the New York health care system and it has often been referred to as the “Rightsizing Commission.” Detractors, meanwhile, call it the “Base-Closure Commission.” One of the major issues facing the Commission will be the use of data in accurately assessing the current capacity of the state’s hospitals taking into account temporarily closed beds due to staff shortages and/or transitional units.

The Commission was created to evaluate the needs and capacity of New York’s health care system. The Commission is comprised of 18 commissioners, twelve appointed by the Governor, and three each appointed by the Senate and the Assembly. In addition, the Commission will have regional members who are to be appointed by the Governor, the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the Assembly. The make-up of the regional advisory commission members is expected to be on the agenda for the September 21st meeting. The regional committees are charged with soliciting input at the local level and making regional recommendations on restructuring the health care system to assist the statewide commission with its deliberations.

Rural New York has at least one rural advocate on the Commission, namely, Howard T. Howlett, Chairman of the Healthcare Trustees of NY. Mr. Howlett is on the Board of Directors of the Chautauqua County Health Network, which is a NYSARH member organization located in Jamestown.

The Commission’s final report regarding the form and function of New York’s acute and long term care institutions to the Governor is expected by December 2006.