Health Care Champions Advertorial

HEALTH CARE CHAMPIONS

On August 3, 2022, Governor Hochul announced $1.2 billion in funding to the NYS Health Care Worker Bonus (HWB) program. This program makes bonus payments available to certain frontline health care workers who helped New York communities get through the most trying times of the pandemic. Governor Hochul emphasized, “Health care work ers are the foundation of our medical system and we need to acknowledge the sacrifices they have made to bring us

STATE BONUS PROGRAM FOR HEALTH CARE HEROES

through these challenging times. Our bonus program is about more than just thanks, this is an investment in health care and with it we will retain, rebuild and grow our health care workforce and ensure we deliver the highest-quality care for New Yorkers.” The Health Law Practice of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP is dedicated to helping its clients navigate the complex requirements of this law to obtain these well-earned bo nuses for their eligible employees.

Health care providers who are “quali fied employers” are required to apply to the program, determine employee eli gibility and distribute bonuses to their eligible employees, or face severe penal ties for the failure to do so. In order to be eligible for the bonus, the employee must work for a qualified employer, be in the category of eligible job titles listed in SOS §367-w(2)(a)(i)-(iii), receive an an nual base salary of $125,000 or less, be employed during an entire “vesting pe

riod,” not be suspended/excluded from participation in the Medicaid program and work for the qualified employer for the required number of hours during an applicable vesting period. Each of the five vesting periods span six consecu tive months, the first of which began on Oct. 1, 2021. Eligible employees may re ceive a maximum of two bonuses (two vesting periods) per employer. Depend ing upon the number of hours worked during each vesting period, the bonus for each eligible employee ranges from $500 to $1,500 per vesting period. The maximum bonus an employee may re ceive is $3,000.

The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) is tasked with audit ing the bonus payments to determine whether the funds were rightfully claimed and distributed. OMIG is also authorized to impose sanctions up to and including exclusion from the Med icaid program. Furthermore, at the end of each vesting period, all qualified em ployers should review which employees are eligible during the vesting period according to the statute and guidance provided.

The Department of Health (DOH) has continuously updated its guidance doc uments to assist in determining the pa rameters of eligibility for both employ ers and employees. However, employers have found conflicting information pro vided in both the statute and guidance documents. Given the ambiguity in program requirements, employers may wish to consult with legal counsel to aid in determining eligibility and navigat ing this process.

Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP urges eligible employers to fully utilize the HWB program to reward the Health Care Heroes who live and work in our communities.

BETTER BEGINS WITH THE BEST.

BETTER. MOVE BETTER.

As the #1 in Orthopedics worldwide, we believe that a better you begins with the best care. Most major insurance plans accepted. Learn more at HSS.edu

CT 06902

GREENWICH HOSPITAL BRIDGEPORT HOSPITAL

Greenwich Hospital , founded in 1903, has been a mem ber of Yale New Haven Health since 1998 and is an aca demic affiliate of te Yale School of Medicine. It is a pro gressive, 206-bed regional medical center and teaching institution serving residents of Fairfield and Westchester counties. The hospital has garnered a national reputa tion for patient safety, clinical excellence and customer service, combining the latest technological advances with skilled, compassionate physicians and health care professionals who deliver the highest level of patient care. The Women’s Choice Awards has named Greenwich Hospital as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience and Cancer Care in 2022. Greenwich Hos pital’s patients have access to a comprehensive range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. The multimillion dollar neuroscience program includes lifesaving mechanical thrombectomy, state-of-the-art technology and advanced treatment for acute stroke. The hospital offers medical innovations from robotic surgery to sophisticated diagnostic imaging to national clinical trials. The hospital is recognized by the Ameri can Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet Hospital, the highest honor of nursing excellence. The emergency department has Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital pe diatric specialists to care for the smallest patients any time of day or night. Yale New Haven’s Smilow Cancer Hospital on the Greenwich Hospital campus is across from the main hospital and offers high-quality advanced cancer care close to home. Greenwich Hospital’s offsite locations include 55 Holly Hill Lane, 500 West Putnam Ave. and 15 Valley Dr. in Greenwich; 2015 West Main St. and 260 Long Ridge Road in Stamford; and 90 South Ridge Road in Rye Brook, NY.

Bridgeport Hospital is a private, not-for-profit acute care hospital located in Connecticut’s most populous city, primarily serving patients from Fairfield and New Haven counties. Burn patients are seen in the Con necticut Burn Center — the only burn center in Con necticut — from throughout the state and neighboring states.

Bridgeport Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health which is comprised of Yale New Haven Hospi tal, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospi tal, Westerly Hospital and Northeast Medical Group.

Bridgeport Hospital was founded in 1878 as Fairfield County’s first hospital by a group of community lead ers that included P.T. Barnum, who became the hospi tal’s first president. It is most comprehensive health care provider in Fairfield County, with 501 licensed beds on two campuses, plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Bridgeport Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and has earned The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval.

The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annu ally. It has 2,600 employees; nearly 770 active attend ing physicians representing more than 60 subspecial ties; 235 resident physicians including 150 from Yale University School of Medicine programs (general sur gery, emergency medicine, pediatrics and pathology) and 85 from Bridgeport Hospital-sponsored programs (including fellowships); 660 registered nurses; 286 vol unteers and 245 auxilians.

With the greatest of care. And highest hospital rating.

At Greenwich Hospital, everything we do is centered around creating the most positive patient experience. That's why we’re so honored to receive a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It underscores our understanding that there is nothing more important to patients than getting the safest, most timely, and effective care close to home. Whether you’re being treated for a heart condition, getting ready for spinal surgery, or simply following up on a colonoscopy, you’ll be in the most skilled, capable hands possible. And, you’ll be able to rest assured that all of your questions will be answered. Because at Greenwich Hospital we treat every patient, with the greatest of care.

LIFESAVING STOP THE BLEED TRAINING CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE IN AN EMERGENCY

BY GEORGE W. CONTRERAS

During a time when there is a large fo cus on public health emergencies such as Covid-19 and Monkeypox, it is impor tant to remember that other disasters and emergencies still occur. Everyone needs to be prepared so that they can aid at a moment’s notice until first re sponders arrive. We have seen too many tragic incidents such as mass shootings and other events where people have been injured or killed.

The New York Medical College (NYMC) Center for Disaster Medicine (CDM) be lieves in educating and raising the aware ness level of all community members. The CDM, founded in 2005, conducts interdisciplinary research, training, technical assistance and educational ac tivities related to emergency prepared ness for disasters, terrorism and public health emergencies. For the past several years, the CDM has been providing STOP

THE BLEED training throughout the

lence of fatalities from severe bleeding due to accidents, STOP THE BLEED is a national campaign sponsored by the White House and administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The training focuses on what a person can do to prevent excessive bleeding from an injury resulting from an acci dental/intentional injury, motor vehicle collision or disaster.

The STOP THE BLEED course, which is offered in English and Spanish, takes approximately one hour and involves a lecture plus hands-on practical skills training. The CDM currently offers this training to organizations who wish to learn these lifesaving skills. The CDM has already conducted this essential training for local community organizations, fire departments, emergency medical servic es (EMS), boy scouts, police departments and other community-based groups in the region. It is never too late to get more education or training to be prepared.

For more information on the Cen ter for Disaster Medicine at New York Medical College, please visit nymc.edu/ disastermed. For more information or to schedule a STOP THE BLEED class, email disaster_medicine@nymc.edu.

–George W. Contreras, M.P.H., M.S., MEP, CEM, FAcEM, EMTP, is assistant director for the Center for Disaster Medicine, and assistant professor in the Institute of Public Health at New York Medical College.

Assistant Director for the Center of Disaster Medicine George W. Contreras provides STOP THE BLEED workshops and dem onstrations to the public via community events in Highbridge Pool in NYC, July 28, 2022.

NEW COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING MEETS WORKFORCE NEEDS

Southern Connecticut State University un veiled its new College of Health and Human Services building with a ribbon-cutting cer emony and celebration Friday, Sept. 16.

Andrea Adimando, associate professor of nursing and MSN program director, said, “We’ve waited a long time for this building and we’re so excited to be here to celebrate its opening. We can’t wait to use the labs and study space to meet with our students, be with our students and really embrace this build ing.”

The four-story, 94,750-square-foot new building features collaborative spaces, stateof-the-art teaching and training spaces, lec ture halls, a demonstration kitchen and mod ern human performance laboratories. The new building was designed to meet the needs of Connecticut’s health and human services workforce.

President Joe Bertolino, who welcomed the crowd of students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the New Haven community, said, “As you know, there are critical shortages in many areas of Connecticut’s health care indus try and this new building will allow us to both increase enrollment and further diversify the state’s health care professional workforce.”

Audiology, communication disorders and human performance labs and clinics, cur rently used to train students and assist at-need populations in Connecticut, have also expand ed in size and capabilities in the new building.

“Reflecting our social justice mission as a public university, it will also serve as a won derful resource for the off-campus communi ty through our expanded speech therapy and hearing clinics, human performance lab and our center for adaptive sport and inclusive rec reation,” said President Bertolino.

Other speakers included Sandra Bulmer, dean, College of Health and Human Services; Susan Bysiewicz, Lt. Governor, State of Con necticut; Dan Ybanez, sophomore nursing student; Melody Lehrman, Communication Disorders Clinic advocate; Michelle Gilman, Commissioner, State Department of Admin istrative Services; Terrence Cheng, president, CSCU System; and Will Ginsberg, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Greater New Haven.

This ribbon-cutting event followed a recent announcement of a new initiative between the state of Connecticut in collaboration with Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) and multiple state agencies to address shortages in nursing and behavioral health providers on the heels of the Covid-19 pan demic.

Governor Ned Lamont’s $35 million ini

tiative, CT Health Horizons, would provide tuition assistance and recruitment and reten tion of faculty, and would offer innovative pro grams to promote partnerships between em ployers and institutions of higher education in building career pathways.

“By making this investment, we are taking a critical step toward expanding the number of nursing seats at our public and private in stitutions of higher education,” said Lamont at a press conference held at Southern Con necticut State University in August. “We also know that the need for mental health services has only increased during the pandemic. This collaborative approach will help promote a highly educated behavioral health workforce.”

CSCU President Terrence Cheng agreed that this new program will help meet state work force needs while also creating long-term ca reer paths for 70,000 students in the system.

“Our nursing faculty are top notch, and our facilities are outstanding,” said Cheng. “Our nursing and health care alums are found around the state, in the big hospitals and pri vate practices. They’re putting their skills to work every day.”

President Joe Bertolino, who welcomed Lamont, Cheng and other distinguished guests to the press conference, said, “The demand for well-trained health and human services pro fessionals has never been greater, and so we thank you, Governor, for providing your state

educational institutions with the resources to address this area of critical need.

“Southern – and indeed all the institutions in the CSCU system – are fully committed to this vital task.”

Advance Your Healthcare Career With a Graduate Degree From Southern

Southern’s health and wellness graduate degree options offer a curriculum designed to help healthcare professionals become effective managers and leaders

• Addiction Counseling, Post-Master’s Certificate

• Athletic Training, MAT

• Exercise Science, MS Clinical Exercise Physiology, Human Performance, Sport Psychology

• Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS, Post-Masters Certificate

• Communication Disorders, MS

• Marriage and Family Therapy, MFT

• Nursing, MSN, Post-Masters Certificate

Clinical Nurse Leader, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator

• Nursing Education, EdD

• Physical Activity and Chronic Disease, MS

• Psychology, MA

• Public Health, MPH Health Promotion, Executive MPH Management and Leadership

• School Counseling, MS, 6th Year, Post-Masters Certificate

• School Health Education, MS

• School Psychology, MS, 6th Year

• Social Work, MSW, Clinical Practice, Community Practice: Community Organization, Policy, and Leadership

• Social Work, DSW

• Social Work & Women & Gender Studies, MSW/MA