VCJC News & Notes 5/24/24

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Reminders

2. Shabbos
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 5/24/24 @ 7:55 pm
   Shabbos morning services at 8:40 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely. 
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 5/25/24@ 8:40 pm
   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.
    

3. Lag B’Omer
   Sunday, May 26, 2024

4. Memorial Day
   Monday, May 27, 2024.  We honor our fallen.

   
   

Our mailing address is:

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Ave

Bronx, NY 10463

NYDOS ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF $18 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT NEW YORK’S COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION EFFORTS

 

Smart Growth, Waterfront Revitalization and Brownfield Redevelopment Funds Available to Spark Community Growth and Development

Programs Promote Equitable, Sustainable and Resilient Development; Help Attract Jobs and Businesses; and Protect and Preserve Natural Resources

The New York Department of State announced $18 million in available funding for three signature community planning, development and infrastructure programs – Smart Growth Community Planning and Zoning Program, Brownfield Opportunity Area Program and Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. These programs, together with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, form the cornerstone of the State’s economic development and community revitalization efforts. Applications for this funding are being solicited through the State’s Consolidated Funding Application. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, July 31st at 4 p.m.  

“New York State is an unparalleled leader in sustainable community development, and those revitalization efforts start right here at the Department of State,” said New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. “The Department’s suite of planning, development and infrastructure programs continue to play a critical role in reaching the ambitious economic, environmental and housing goals set by Governor Hochul. We encourage communities across the State to learn more about these diverse funding opportunities and apply for any program that could benefit their area.”

These community planning and development programs are funded through the State's Environmental Protection Fund. 

Smart Growth Planning and Zoning Grant Program ($2 Million)

The Smart Growth Planning and Zoning Grant Program is offering $2 million for communities to develop local and county-wide comprehensive plans, targeted area plans and zoning ordinances.  Communities must commit to incorporating the principles of Smart Growth into their planning and zoning. Smart Growth principles include walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly streetscapes; compact, mixed-use community design; vibrant downtowns and other municipal centers; a diversity of housing options for all incomes, ages and abilities; safe, accessible public spaces; ample parks and outdoor recreational opportunities; and clean energy, among others. More information about this funding opportunity is available here.

Brownfield Opportunity Area Program ($2 million)

The Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program transforms known or suspected brownfield sites from liabilities to community assets, which in turn generate and support new businesses, jobs, housing and public amenities. The program provides grants for BOA plans which, once completed, are submitted to the New York State Secretary of State for approval, or "designation." Such designated BOA plans then entitle projects that are consistent with the plan to priority funding among certain state programs and an additional 5 percent brownfield developer tax credit. The BOA program also provides grants for pre-development activities in State-designated BOAs, such as environmental, housing and economic studies, infrastructure analyses, marketing strategies, public engagement and zoning, countywide brownfield inventories and assessments, phase II environmental site assessments and regulatory updates, among others.  There are currently 74 designated BOAs in New York State. More information about this funding opportunity is available here.

Local Waterfront Revitalization Program ($14 million)

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) provides grants to communities to develop  community-driven plan that cultivates a vision for their waterfront, adopts policies and local laws to guide future activities and development, and identifies land and water uses and projects to revitalize their waterfront area, improve resiliency, and establish connections to their downtowns and neighborhoods and Watershed Management Plans to protect and restore specific waterbodies and their watersheds. Once an LWRP is approved by the Secretary of State and adopted by a local community, or is substantially complete, the community can apply for implementation funds for projects that support the plan. There are currently 114 municipalities with approved LWRPs in New York State. More information about this funding opportunity is available here.

These three programs are administered by the DOS Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure, which also administers the Governor’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward program. Many DRI and NY Forward communities have received funding in the past from the BOA, LWRP and/or Smart Growth programs, which in turn has helped them develop and implement their successful DRI applications and Strategic Investment Plans. 

More information on all DOS funding opportunities is available here.

About the Consolidated Funding Application

The Consolidated Funding Application was created to streamline and expedite the grant application process. The CFA process marks a fundamental shift in the way State resources are allocated, ensuring less bureaucracy and greater efficiency to fulfill local economic development needs. The CFA serves as the single-entry point for access to economic development funding, ensuring applicants no longer have to slowly navigate multiple agencies and sources without any mechanism for coordination. Now, economic development projects use the CFA as a support mechanism to access multiple State funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive. Learn more about the CFA here.

Governor Hochul Announces $30 Million to Expand Inpatient Psychiatric Capacity Statewide

State Office of Mental Health Awards Funding for Nine Community-Based Hospitals to Develop a Total of 109 New Inpatient Beds Statewide

State Funding to Aid Design, Property Acquisition, and Construction Costs

Complements the Governor’s $1 Billion Plan to Strengthen Mental Health Care

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a total of $30 million in state funding was awarded to nine community-based hospitals to add 109 new inpatient psychiatric beds statewide. Administered by the State Office of Mental Health, these awards can be used to cover design, property acquisition, and construction costs associated with adding new inpatient beds, which is among the priorities included in Governor Hochul's landmark $1 billion plan to strengthen New York’s mental health system.

“All New Yorkers should be able to access inpatient mental health care when and where they need it,” Governor Hochul said. “These awards will provide critical capital for projects that will add new inpatient beds for psychiatric care at community-based hospitals across the state, which will help to ensure all individuals living with serious mental illness or in crisis can access the care they need to recover.”

New York City-based hospitals will receive five awards totaling $19.1 million and upstate facilities will receive four awards totaling $11.7 million. The awards include:

$19.1 Million for New York City:

• Episcopal Health Services, $1 million; adding four beds for adults.
• Maimonides Medical Center, $5 million; adding 20 beds for youth.
• Montefiore Medical Center, $3.1 million; adding 21 beds for youth.
• New York City HHC – Bellevue, $5 million; adding 12 beds for youth.
• Richmond Medical Center, $5 million; adding 10 beds for adults.

$11.7 Million for Upstate Facilities:

• Rome Memorial Hospital, $1 million; adding four beds for adults.
• Claxton Hepburn Medical Center, $5 million; adding 10 beds for youth.
• Samaritan Medical Center, $780,338; adding five beds for adults.
• Columbia Memorial Hospital, $5 million; adding 23 beds for adults.

Article 28 licensed general hospitals and not-for-profit freestanding Article 31 psychiatric hospitals operating programs licensed or certified by OMH could apply for up to $5 million for projects to increase inpatient capacity. The funding can be used for opening new inpatient beds, including specialty psychiatric units to treat individuals dually diagnosed with mental health disorders. The funding can be used for construction, design costs, property acquisition, project administration and other related expenses, including permits and testing.

OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Adding new psychiatric beds at community-based hospitals will help expand capacity across the state, providing better access to care for New Yorkers during a behavioral health crisis. This capital funding will help these facilities expand and grow their inpatient beds. These awards are part of Gov Hochul’s plan to transform the continuum of care for those in need of mental health services across the state.”

Governor Hochul’s landmark $1 billion plan to strengthen New York’s mental health care system has provided the funding needed to open new programs, expand effective initiatives and develop thousands of units of specialized housing to serve individuals living with mental illness. This plan is now helping to build early intervention and youth programs; expand access to behavioral health clinics and housing; and provide employment incentives for mental health care workers, while also improving insurance coverage, and adding hospital capacity so that the most seriously ill can receive the care they require.

The FY 2025 Enacted Budget continues Governor Hochul’s strong commitment to strengthening the state’s mental health care system and improving access for all New Yorkers. The budget includes $20 million to continue expanding school-based mental health clinic satellites, $19 million to provide critical care to young people outside of school environments, $33 million to build supports for individuals living with a mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system, and $55 million to add 200 inpatient beds at state-operated psychiatric centers.

Attorney General James Secures Over $10 Million from Health Care Companies for Failing to Provide Care to New Yorkers

 

RiverSpring and ElderServe Collected Millions in Medicaid Payments for Services They Never Provided to Seniors in New York City and Surrounding Counties

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a $10.1 million settlement with health care companies RiverSpring Living Holding Corp. (RiverSpring) and ElderServe Health, Inc. d/b/a RiverSpring at Home (ElderServe) for failing to provide vulnerable New York seniors with personalized health care services while continuing to bill New York’s Medicaid program for those services. For years, RiverSpring and ElderServe collected millions of dollars in Medicaid payments while members of the RiverSpring Managed Long Term Care Plan in New York City and Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties did not receive the care they were promised. The settlement is the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY). Under the settlement, approximately $6 million will be returned to the New York State Medicaid Program.

“Instead of caring for their vulnerable patients, RiverSpring and ElderServe used them to drain millions of dollars from Medicaid,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers should be able to trust that the organizations in charge of their health care are providing the services they promise, not taking advantage of them. My office will not tolerate any failure to provide proper care to vulnerable New Yorkers.” 

RiverSpring is a New York not-for-profit corporation that provides administrative support to The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale and affiliated organizations. ElderServe is a New York not-for-profit corporation that administers a Managed Long Term Care Plan (the RiverSpring MLTCP) for Medicaid beneficiaries. Services provided under the RiverSpring MLTCP are specific to each member’s needs and can include home health aide services, nurse visits, social adult day care services, and other community-based services.

An investigation by MFCU found that from 2012 to 2017, the RiverSpring MLTCP collected Medicaid payments for services it never provided to its members. In many cases, RiverSpring either did not provide its members with qualifying services or did not adequately document that the services were provided. Despite this, RiverSpring received millions of dollars in Medicaid payments for these services.

As a result of the settlement, RiverSpring and ElderServe must pay $10,159,130 to federal and state Medicaid programs. $6,095,478 of the settlement funds will be returned to New York’s Medicaid program.

The case against RiverSpring was initiated by a former employee, who will receive a portion of the settlement because the former employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the federal and New York False Claims Act. This Act allows people to file civil actions under seal on behalf of the government and share in any recovery.

The investigation and settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between OAG and USAO-SDNY. Attorney General James thanks the USAO-SDNY for their partnership and assistance.

The investigation by the Attorney General’s MFCU was conducted by Senior Auditor-Investigator Emily Brissette under the supervision of Stacey Millis, Chief Auditor of MFCU’s Civil Enforcement Division. MFCU Lead Data Scientist Si Lok Chao provided data analytics assistance. The case was investigated by Assistant Attorney General Anthony I. Giacobbe, Jr. under the direction of MFCU Civil Enforcement Division Chief Alee N. Scott. MFCU is led by Director Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Paul J. Mahoney. The Division for Criminal Justice is overseen by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and under the oversight of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

Reporting Medicaid Provider Fraud: MFCU defends the public by addressing Medicaid provider fraud and protecting nursing home residents from abuse and neglect. If an individual believes they have information about Medicaid provider fraud or about an incident of abuse or neglect of a nursing home resident, they can file a confidential complaint online or call the MFCU hotline at (800) 771-7755. If the situation is an emergency, please call 911.

MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2023 is $65,717,936. Of that total, 75 percent, or $49,288,452, is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $16,429,484 for FY 2023, is funded by New York state. Through MFCU’s recoveries in law enforcement actions, it regularly returns more to the state than it receives in state funding.