Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
See separate instructions.| (i) Name of supported organization |
(ii) EIN |
(iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 9 above or IRC section (see instructions)) |
(iv) Is the organization in col. (i) listed in your governing document? |
(v) Did you notify the organization in col. (i) of your support? |
(vi) Is the organization in col. (i) organized in the U.S.? |
(vii) Amount of support? |
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| Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ||||
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| Calendar year(or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2006 | (b) 2007 | (c) 2008 | (d) 2009 | (e) 2010 | (f) Total | |
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| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") .... | ||||||
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf....... | ||||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3.. | ||||||
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f).. | ||||||
| 6 | Public Support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | ||||||
| Calendar year(or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2006 | (b) 2007 | (c) 2008 | (d) 2009 | (e) 2010 | (f) Total | |
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| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | ||||||
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. (Explain in Part IV.) Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets.. | ||||||
| 11 | Total support (Add lines 7 through 10). | ||||||






| Calendar year(or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2006 | (b) 2007 | (c) 2008 | (d) 2009 | (e) 2010 | (f) Total | |
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| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose...... | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513.. | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5. | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons... | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public Support (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
| Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) | (a) 2006 | (b) 2007 | (c) 2008 | (d) 2009 | (e) 2010 | (f) Total | |
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| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included in line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part IV.) | ||||||
| 13 | Total support (Add lines 9, 10c, 11 and 12.). | ||||||




| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Explanation |
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| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.| Identifier | Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 6 | Seton Health System, Inc. has a single corporate member, Ascension Health. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 7a | Seton Health System, Inc. has a single corporate member, Ascension Health, who has the ability to elect members to the governing body of Seton Health System, Inc. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 7b | Ascension Health has designed a system authority matrix which assigns authority for key decisions that are necessary in the operation of the system. Specific areas that are identified in the authority matrix are: new organizations & major transactions; governing documents; appointments/removals; evaluation; debt limits; strategic & financial plans; assets; system policies & procedures. These areas are subject to certain levels of approval by Ascension per the system authority matrix. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11 | Management, including certain officers, works diligently to complete the Form 990 and attached schedules in a thorough manner. Prior to filing the return, all Board Members are provided the Form 990 and management team members are available to answer any Board Members questions. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c | The organization regularly and consistently monitors and enforces compliance with the conflict of interest policy in that any director, principal officer, or member of a committee with governing board delegated powers, who has a direct or indirect financial interest, must disclose the existence of the financial interest and be given the opportunity to disclose all material facts to the directors and members of the committees with governing board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or arrangement. The remaining individuals on the governing board or committee meeting will decide if conflicts of interest exist. Each director, principal officer and member of a committee with governing board delegated powers annually signs a statement which affirms such person has received a copy of the conflicts of interest policy, has read and understands the policy, has agreed to comply with the policy, and understands that the organization is charitable and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities which accomplish its tax-exempt purpose. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 | In determining compensation of the organization's top management official, the process included a review and approval by independent persons, comparability data, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. The executive committee reviewed and approved the compensation. In the review of the compensation, the top management official was compared to other organizations in the area that hold the same title. During the review and approval of the compensation, documentation of the decision was recorded in the executive committee minutes. Individual was not present when his compensation was decided. In determining compensation of other officers or key employees of the organization, the process included a review and approval by independent persons, comparability data, and contemporaneous substantiation of the deliberation and decision. The executive committee reviewed and approved the compensation. In the review of the compensation, the other officers or key employees of the organization were compared to other organizations' employees in the area that hold the same title. During the review and approval of the compensation, documentation of the decision was recorded in the executive committee minutes. | |
| Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 | The organization will provide any documents open to public inspection upon request. | |
| Average hours devoted to related org(s) when related comp is reported: | Form 990, Part VII: | Officers (as noted with "Sch O") for Seton Health System, Inc. provide services to Seton Health System and its subsidiaries. Hours worked are not tracked on an entity by entity basis. Therefore all officers' hours reported on Form 990, Part VII, Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, Highest Compensated Employees, and Independent Contractors represent aggregate hours worked per week for all Seton Health System entities. |
| Changes in Net Assets or Fund Balances: | Form 990, Part XI, line 5: | Assets Released from Restriction 145,957. Transfer to/from Affiliate -1,979,709. Deferred Pension Costs 462,825. Adjustment for PP&E Correction 2,035,492. Other 12,180. Contributions 15,146. Total to Form 990, Part XI, Line 5: 691,891. |
| Form 990, Part IV, Line 20b: | If the organization operated one or more hospital facilities at any time during the tax year, then it must attach a copy of its most recent audited financial statements if its tax year began after March 23,2010. The tax year covered by this return is January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. Therefore, no audited financial statements are attached to this return. | |
| Form 990, Part III, Community Benefit Report | Seton Health / St. Mary's Hospital Community Service Plan 2010 Mission Statement Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words. Based on the foundation of our membership in Ascension Health, a sponsored health ministry of the Daughters of Charity, and the Sisters of St. Joseph, Seton Health System is dedicated to excellence, innovation, accountability and the prevention of illness in response to the community's changing healthcare needs. Our vision is to create a unified system of comprehensive healthcare services through collaboration with those who share our vision. Seton Health System coordinates the objectives and activities of its subsidiary organizations, in accordance with the historic commitment of the Daughters of Charity to care for the poor and sick in the spirit and tradition of their founders, St. Vincent DePaul, St. Louise deMarillac and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. We are called to: SERVICE OF THE POOR Generosity of Spirit for persons most in need REVERENCE Respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life INTEGRITY Inspiring trust through personal leadership WISDOM Integrating excellence and stewardship DEDICATION Affirming the hope and joy of our ministry Service Area Our service area is typically defined as the communities within Rensselaer County, southern Saratoga County and northern Albany County. Those zip codes that produce 80% of our discharges include: -Rensselaer County: Troy (12180), Troy (12182), Rensselaer (12144), East Greenbush (12061), Wynantskill (12198), Averill Park (12018), 12154 (Schaghticoke) -Albany County: Green Island (12183), Cohoes (12047), Latham (12110), Watervliet (12189) -Saratoga County: Clifton Park (12065), Mechanicville (12118), Stillwater (12170), Waterford (12188), Ballston Spa (12020) | |
| Participants and Hospital Role: For over 13 years, Seton Health has been an active member of the Healthy Capital District Initiative (HCDI), partnering with other local hospitals, insurers, county health departments and other interested parties to improve the health of the people living in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties. For the 2009 Community Service Plan, the group prepared an extensive community health profile (the entire profile is available from the HCDI website, www.hcdiny.org ) which analyzed selected health indicators chosen based on a review of available public health data, national priorities identified in the Healthy People 2010 report and New York State priorities promulgated through the Prevention Agenda for a Healthier New York. A televised Community Health Forum, as well as an online survey, also contributed to our understanding of the community's health care needs. The partners continue to meet monthly to discuss progress on the agreed upon target areas as well as other regional health planning initiatives. Seton Health also relies on the advice and counsel of our community board members who bring their own experiences and insight to our discussions about important community initiatives. Public Health Priorities: Access to Care: As a member of Ascension Health and as part of our Strategic Direction, Seton Health has committed to achieving the "Healthcare that Leaves No One Behind" goal of 100% access and 100% coverage for all. In Rensselaer County, it is estimated that 7.3% of children have no health insurance and that 13% of adults are uncovered. We know that those without health insurance still get sick. Instead of making an inexpensive visit to a primary care physician that might keep a cold from getting worse or control high blood pressure, many uninsured wait until they are much sicker and then arrive at an emergency room with pneumonia or stroke, needing much more expensive care. We also know that many of the uninsured are working men and women who unfortunately are not offered or are unable to pay for insurance at their workplace. Access to timely healthcare in the appropriate setting is particularly challenging for the uninsured and underinsured individuals, and individuals with chronic disease. Studies have shown that the lack of a regular physician is a strong predictor of poor outcomes. Our priorities with regard to Access to Care include the following: - Increase access to prescription drugs for people who are uninsured or underinsured Measured by number of referred clients, number of enrolled clients, number of scripts filled, number of program participants referred to publicly funding health insurance programs, number of program participants enrolled in publicly funding health insurance programs. 2011 Update: In the first seven months of 2011, 614 new clients referred, 598 new clients enrolled, 1333 prescriptions filled, 796 refilled prescriptions; 84 clients referred to publicly funded insurance programs, 27 clients enrolled. Value of prescriptions dispensed during the time period $1.22 million. - Increase access to primary care physicians in our service area Measured by growth of visits particularly for Medicaid recipients and uninsured. 2011 Update: There were nearly 191,000 visits to Seton Health primary care offices in 2010. Visits by individuals who are either uninsured or covered by Medicaid grew 9%. - Increase access to care for special populations including pregnant women and low-income individuals who are substance abusers. Measured by discharges and successful implementation of an outpatient program for opiate-addicted individuals. 2011 Update: The Childbirth Center volume was 718 births. Fully 51% of the births are to patients who are Medicaid or uninsured. There were 22,000 outpatient visits to the four Seton Health OB/Gyn offices. Although discharges for detox services were down, alcohol rehab discharges were 369, a 35% increase from 2009. In 2009, Seton had put a voluntary hold on admissions in order to recruit additional staff and make programmatic changes. These changes are in place and volume is returning to pre-hold levels. We hope to begin the outpatient program for opiate-addicted individuals in the next fiscal year. Our initiatives with regard to Access to Care include the following: - Rensselaer Cares Prescription Assistance Program (RCPAP) (Prevention Agenda Priority: Access to Quality Health Care): In 2007, the RCPAP was established for underinsured and uninsured Rensselaer County residents. It grew out of a Troy-based 100% access coalition initiated by Gino J. Pazzaglini, CEO of Seton Health and includes chief executives from Northeast Health, the Rensselaer County Medical Society, and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center. RCPAP is open to anyone without prescription coverage that is affiliated with one of the coalition providers. Additional eligibility criteria include earning no more than 200% of the poverty level (for example, a single person earning $21,660 or less a year). Most pharmaceutical companies have programs that make their drugs available at little or no cost to eligible recipients. However, accessing the programs and completing the applications is very difficult - particularly for patients on multiple medications. RCPAP streamlines the process. Those enrolled in the program simply provide demographic and income information and a list of medications to the program coordinator. The coordinator then, with the assistance of inexpensive software, completes the applications, acquires the required physician signatures and submits the requests. The drugs are then mailed to the doctor or directly to the patient, depending on the company. The software stores and tracks patient information and includes prompts for refill ordering. Although funded by grants for the first two years, we have been unable to secure sustainable funding. Since January 2009, Seton Health has self-funded the program. Recently we received two grants which will partially offset the cost but we will continue to ensure full funding until grant funding is secured or we are unable to accommodate the additional cost. Since the program's inception, 13,572 prescriptions have been dispensed to 3,600 people with a value of $6.4 million. | ||
| - Provision of Primary Care Services (Prevention Agenda Objective 2013: increase the percentage of adult New Yorkers who have a regular health care provider to 96%): Access to primary care is critical to a healthy community. Seton Health currently operates 15 physician offices (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN and urgent care) including sites in Troy, Mechanicville, Stillwater, Schaghticoke, East Greenbush, Cohoes and Clifton Park. Staffed by board certified physicians, these sites provide high quality, accessible care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. We continue to expand and reconfigure our services as is warranted by the communities we serve. We have added physicians to many of our practices and expanded our evening and weekend hours. We have also responded to patient needs by providing social work services and support groups - services not typically offered by private physician offices. Additionally, we continue to bring a variety of diagnostic services to the individual locations to provide "one-stop" healthcare for our patients. In FY 2011, over 206,000 patient visits were made to Seton Health sites. In addition, Seton Health has been providing a free weekly walk-in clinic at the Roarke Center in downtown Troy. The Center provides basic medical care for people currently receiving little or no care and is staffed by volunteer physicians, nurses and allied health professionals from Seton Health. A valuable component of the Clinic is the ability to provide pre-employment physicals at no charge. Follow-up care is provided by one of the Seton Health primary care practices. Free prescriptions are financed jointly by Seton Health and the Roarke Center. If a clinic participant is eligible and so desires, the person is referred to a facilitated enroller. Patients without access to a primary care physician often seek inappropriate care at an emergency department for illnesses or injuries that could be cared for in a physician's office. Seton Health currently provides urgent care services in Clifton Park and in FY 2010 opened a weekend urgent care service at our existing primary care site in East Greenbush. This service will expand to a 7 day per week operation in the Fall of 2011. - Substance Abuse Services (Prevention Agenda Priority: Mental Health and Substance Abuse): Seton Health has long been a leader in the provision of comprehensive chemical dependency services. As the only provider of inpatient services in Rensselaer County, we fill a critical need in the community. We have continued this commitment even though the rebasing proposal included in the 2009 budget reduced our Medicaid revenue for this service by 56%. Seton was the most negatively impacted alcohol rehabilitation provider in all of NYS. The next most impacted providers will see reductions of 31% and 20%, respectively. Our rate will be 46% of the NYS average and 58.6% of our regional average. In 2010, we collaborated with St. Peter's Health Care Addiction Services to enhance the level of service available on our Addictions Unit. Staff received additional training to improve the therapeutic environment and the patient experience. We also provided staff with additional resources in dealing with patients who also have a mental health diagnosis. In response to a report jointly issued by the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the DOH, and the stated needs of the counties we serve, Seton Health intends to provide medically supervised outpatient treatment for patients withdrawing from opiate addiction in the future. This model provides an alternative to the current inpatient framework and is more family/work-friendly and much less costly. - Access to Healthcare Coverage (Prevention Agenda Objective 2013: increase the percentage of adult New Yorkers with health care coverage to 100%): As a member of HCDI, Seton Health fully supports the Facilitated Enrollment project which provides assistance to families and individuals who may be eligible for Medicaid, Child Health Plus or Family Health Plus. We also partner with Fidelis Care to locate an enroller full time at St. Mary's Hospital and at several of our primary care locations on a regularly scheduled basis. Each year we participate in the national "Cover the Uninsured Week" by holding enrollment fairs and educating our patients and associates. We actively support the 100% access and 100% coverage agenda of Ascension Health and the Catholic Health Association by advocating for these issues at both the local and national levels. - Services to At-Risk Pregnant Women (Prevention Agenda Objectives 2013, increase the percentage of women in New York who have received prenatal care in the first trimester to at least 90%;reduce the percent of New York births that are low birth weight (<2,500 grams) to no more than 5%): The Mommy Project is a program of specially designed classes for teenage mothers-to-be that teaches these young women how to balance the stresses of adolescence and parenthood and prepares them to be caring, responsive caregivers of their new children. A team-based approach is used to provide each educational series, which consists of six classes. A certified childbirth educator (RN) teaches the medical and clinical aspects of the class. Our obstetrical social worker focuses on the emotional and social side of childbirth and parenting. The program was developed in response to a need identified by the nurses and social workers working in the Seton Health Childbirth Center at St. Mary's Hospital. They observed the teen mothers arriving at the Childbirth Center with no childbirth instruction, in less than optimal health and emotionally and financially unprepared for motherhood. The Mommy Project uses an incentives system to encourage targeted pregnant teens to attend and/or participate in Seton-sponsored educational activities. Participants who complete a set number of classes, enroll in Women, Infants and Children (WIC), obtain insurance, gain employment or enroll in school, and find a pediatrician, receive "Baby Bucks." These may be exchanged for safety equipment and devices. The Mommy Project is a significant effort to improve the birth outcomes of the young women we serve and a means to enhance their access to care. Seton Health also implemented a grant from the March of Dimes New York State Chapter to support Seton Health OB/GYN's new "Full Circle Pregnancy Program" aimed at underserved maternal and child health needs in our service area. This program provides empowerment to patients to be proactive in their own care and the care of their unborn child, allowing interaction with other mothers to enrich their birth experience. This new model program is offered at Seton Health OB/GYN in Troy - one of Seton Health's four OB/GYN practices. With the March of Dimes grant, we were able to send several of our staff to a very intensive training course, ultimately allowing us to provide patients with another enhanced OB/GYN service. | ||
| - Faith Community Nursing: The Seton Health Faith Community Nursing program is a lay ministry designed to promote health and wellness within the values, beliefs, and practices of local faith communities. The program encompasses all faith communities and denominations, encouraging individuals to care for their physical, spiritual, and psychosocial wellbeing. As registered professional nurses, Faith Community Nurses emphasize wellness and preventative medicine, empower people to take control of their own healthcare, and promote health and spiritual healing within their faith communities. The nurse works with the leaders and members of the faith community to identify the individual and congregation needs and together develop a plan for programs, interventions, and activities that will address these needs. The Faith Community Nurse does not take the place of traditional healthcare or provide hands-on care, rather the nurse enhances it. These faith community/Seton Health partnerships attempt to bridge the gap that exists between healthcare services and the community. Seton Health Faith Community Nurses are now a part of 27 faith communities in four counties. The Seton Health Faith Community Nursing program is the only full-time parish nurse/health ministry in the Capital District. Through a variety of educational programs and support groups as well as blood pressure screenings, flu clinics and health fairs, it is fair to say that over thousands of lives are touched by this program each year. - Appropriate Use of the Emergency Room: Seton Health is an active participant in HCDI's HEAL-NY Phase 9 grant to develop systematic solutions to mitigate the trend of over-use of emergency departments for ambulatory sensitive conditions. The grant encourage patients to establish a medical home for primary/preventive care and choose the appropriate level of care for their health needs when they arise, reducing the advantages of using emergency services for non-urgent care needs, and improving access to urgent care. Chronic Disease: Chronic diseases, among the most preventable of all diseases, account for 70% of all deaths that occur in New York. Adopting healthy behaviors can dramatically reduce one's risk for developing a chronic illness. Our priorities with regard to Chronic Disease include the following: - Improve care for persons with diabetes and reduce the incidence of major complications Measured by successful NCQA Diabetes Physician Recognition. 2011 Update: In 2010, seven Seton Health primary care physicians received this prestigious recognition. In 2011, we received accreditation from the American Association of Diabetes Educators. - Reduce the number of adult smokers: Measured by successful implementation of our Center for Smoking Cessation grants. 2011 Update: Activities continue to exceed program goals. See summary below. - Improve end-of-life care for individuals with chronic disease: Measured by reduced hospitalizations of program participants. 2011 Update: In CY2010 the CHF length of stay (LOS) for Palliative Care patients was 3.10 compared to 5.35 for other CHF patients.The 30 day readmission rate was 4.1% for the Palliative Care cohort compared to 29.2%. Our initiatives with regard to Chronic Disease include the following: - Defy Diabetes(Prevention Agenda Objectives 2013: reduce the prevalence of adult diabetes and hospital complications of diabetes in New York so that the percent of adults with diabetes is no more than 5.7% and the rate of hospitalizations for short-term complications of diabetes are no more than 2.3 per 10,000 (ages 6-1) and 3.9 per 10,000 (ages 18+): DEFY DIABETES! is a comprehensive strategy for diabetes detection and management in adults that is improving public health, engaging primary care practitioners and reducing medical costs. DEFY DIABETES! implements a community-based program that seeks to improve primary care and increase community resources in six low-income communities throughout three counties. Utilizing and building upon the Faith Community Nurse program that Seton Health pioneered 20 years ago, DEFY DIABETES! aims to bring about improved prevention and disease management. The project provides stipends, training and curriculum to the faith community nurses located in churches and places of worship in high-risk communities. The nurses employ the STEP program - which emphasizes Screening, Testing, Education, and Prevention - to help people with diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes to make modest lifestyle changes that can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. The faith community nurses are all Registered Nurses and see their role as public health nurses with a holistic spiritual perspective. Through emphasizing a "high talk" approach to diabetes prevention and treatment versus a "high-tech" method, the nurses are empowering individuals to take direct control over their health. The program also works with primary care practices to improve the management of patients with diabetes through the role of a nurse champion and innovative chart reviews. The in-house practice "champions" work to increase primary care compliance with American Diabetes Association recommendations for the treatment of patients with diabetes. The chart reviews enable the program to track the compliance progress. Along with the faith community nurses, these champions will serve to populate patient data in a diabetes data registry to track progress and outcomes over time. DEFY DIABETES! promotes the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) best practices and hopes to become a replicable model with demonstrated outcomes that show: 1) a reduction in diabetes risk factors by people with diabetes and/or pre-diabetes conditions and 2) enhanced primary care protocols. DEFY DIABETES! is a significant chronic care model and is creating a transformative and unique vision for diabetes self management. In FY2009-2010, seven Seton Health physicians received the prestigious National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Diabetes Physician Recognition. We hope to apply for all of our family practice and internal medicine practices within the next 2 years. The recognition measures structure, process and outcomes of excellent care management. Our effort is supported by The Diabetes Campaign. The Diabetes Campaign is sponsored by the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHF) and is a joint program of the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) Quality Institute, Community Health Center Association of New York State, the Institute for Family Health, and the New York State Chapters of the American College of Physicians and Academy of Family Practice. The Diabetes Center builds upon the work of the Defy Diabetes Grant and leverages these existing resources within Seton Health to implement a comprehensive, multi disciplinary program for diabetes detection and management. The Diabetes Center embraces and implements the chronic care model in a holistic, culturally sensitive way to promote safe, high quality care which improves outcomes, increases access, and reduces costs. - Smoking Cessation (Prevention Agenda Objective 2013: reduce the prevalence of smoking in New Yorkers so that the percent of adults who smoke is no more than 12%): The Seton Health Center for Smoking Cessation is now operating three distinct programs all of which are focused on efforts to reduce the rate of tobacco use. A fourth grant funds community partnership efforts. - Cessation Center Healthcare Providers Grant: The primary focus of this grant is to assist healthcare sites, including hospitals and primary care physician offices, to address tobacco use with their patients at every visit, and to refer patients who want to quit to the New York State Smokers' Quitline. This contract also supports the Seton Health developed The Butt Stops Here smoking cessation program, which is conducted at five locations throughout the community on an ongoing basis and offered at worksitesas well. Four times a year, the Center provides a certification program for The Butt Stops Here facilitators, extending the reach of this very successful program to many other businesses and locations throughout the region. | ||
| Successes in 2010-2011 include: - 32 of our partnering healthcare sites were elevated to "maintenance" status, which means they have implemented best practices on addressing tobacco use with patients as a system and are consistently intervening with patients. - The Center established 80 new health care partners who received training and technical assistance to implement best practices on addressing tobacco use with patients. - Outreach staff conducted 237 technical assistance events, which consists of follow-up site visits, training new champions when needed, and attending to other miscellaneous site needs. - Trained staff at Catholic Charities in Albany to assist them in the process of going tobacco free at 8 of their resident homes. - Conducted 30 Butt Stops Here Programs and treated 240 participants. - Comprehensive School Health Policies for Tobacco, Physical Activity and Nutrition Project: This project works with school districts within 5 counties to establish programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use, improve healthful eating, and increase opportunities for physical activity in New York State schools through the implementation of sustainable school health policy and practice changes. The program is funded for five years and began July 1st, 2010. This project in the Capital District will support the prevention and reduction of tobacco use, and increase healthful eating and physical activity opportunities through the implementation of sustainable policy, systems and environmental changes. - The Courage to Quit: The Courage to Quit was originally a two-year project funded by the American Legacy Foundation. It targeted six homeless shelters in the Capital District and provided on-site on-going cessation counseling and cessation medication for residents who want to quit smoking. This unprecedented project began in December 2008. This program has proved quite successful in reaching homeless individuals. We continue to conduct on-going technical assistance to two homeless shelter sites which provide on-going weekly counseling for residents who want to quit smoking. We secured a small grant in 2010 to help to support these services and solidify the program's sustainability. - The Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition: The Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition (CDTFC) is a New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Program community partnership grant that covers Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. The mission of the CDTFC is to reduce adolescent and adult use of tobacco through cooperative programs in prevention, cessation, advocacy and community education. Since 1993 the Coalition has been working in the community to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use, promote cessation of tobacco use and prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults. Seton Health became the fiscal agent for the CDTFC in 2006, providing resources and support to meet the goals of the Coalition work plan. Successes in 2010-2011 include: - Smokefree Housing - worked with nine market-rate and one affordable housing units who have now adopted tobacco free policies for their units. Seven of these were in Albany County, three were in Rensselaer County. - Tobacco-Free outdoors - worked with three municipalities to adopt tobacco free parks policies and eighteen businesses to adopt tobacco free grounds policies. - Point of Sale - Worked with Hannaford stores who have agreed to cover up tobacco displays in any new store or store that has a major remodel. Also worked with Schenectady county and Albany County re: ending the sale of tobacco in pharmacies. Palliative Care: Seton Health developed its Palliative Care Program in 2004 using the HOPE philosophy (H-helping with decision making, O-optimizing function, P-providing opportunities for personal growth, E-enhancing the quality of life for the patient and family). Initially targeted for patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF), it now includes patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions. The multidisciplinary team utilizes non-traditional therapies in a medical setting to improve the patient's overall sense of wellbeing while decreasing pain, stress and anxiety. The Palliative Care team provides emotional and psychological support, and develops treatment and discharge plans for those who are chronically ill. Our program is home-based and relies on home visits by the nurse practitioner and chaplain. Success of our program is measured by aggressive symptom management and pain control to prevent re-hospitalizations. Care is individualized and based on the circumstances and the severity of their illness. Quality of life is the primary objective funded by the hospital through cost avoidance and minimally through insurance billing. The program has tracked length of stay for the CHF and COPD as well as readmission statistics for the patients in the program. There has been a significant reduction in readmission rates for the Palliative Care patients resulting in reduced health care costs. PACE: Seton Health and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany are partnering to develop a PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Aging) program in Rensselaer County. PACE provides integrated acute and long-term care to a frail elderly population who are at higher risk of institutionalization. The goal is to keep them well and in their home settings. Seton Health was awarded a HEAL NY grant from the NYS Department of Health for nearly $1 million in order to develop the PACE program. We have also received designation under Article 4403-f of the Public Health Law as a Managed Long Term Care Plan (MLTCP), a key component of the PACE development. A site in Albany has been identified and construction will begin later this year. Enrollment is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2012. - Cancer Services Program (Prevention Agenda Objectives 2013: reduce the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate to no more than: 21.3 per 100,000 females for breast cancer; 2.0 per 100,000 females for cervical cancer and 13.7 per 100,000 for colorectal cancer): Seton Health has long been a partner with the state and local health departments in this important program which provides free breast, cervical, colorectal cancer screening, diagnostic, treatment and support services for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Already collaborating with Albany and Rensselaer counties, in FY 2010 we expanded our arrangements to include Saratoga County. New Initiative 2011: - Healthy Hearts: Healthy Hearts is a joint educational initiative of Seton Health/St. Mary's and Samaritan hospitals. The free and informative programs provide the community suggestions and strategies to live a healthier life. The program consisted of five educational seminars from May through November, led by local physicians and specialists. Topics discussed included the effect of sleep apnea on heart disease, cooking tips for a healthy heart, the effects of cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease. Seton Health and Northeast Health also partnered to offer the joint initiative Just Walk With A Doc program in downtown Troy. Just Walk With A Doc is a national initiative designed to educate and encourage physical activity to improve health. The six walks from May through October were led by staff from both organizations and local cardiologists. Each month's walk offered an educational talk on topics such as diabetes, nutrition and hypertension. Following the discussion, walkers were led on a one-mile loop downtown where they could ask medical questions in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. After the walk, cardiac staff performed blood pressure checks. The walks were open to the public and free for anyone to participate in. Participation in the walks grew steadily to approximately 150 walkers. Staff from Seton Health and Northeast Health promoted the community initiative by working with area businesses and civil service organizations to publicize each walk. Public Distribution of the Community Service Plan: The Seton Health Community Service Plan is available on the Seton Health website at http://www.setonhealth.org/about/subpage.cfm?ID=46. Both the full report as well as a summary brochure can be accessed. In addition, the Winter 2010 edition of the community newsletter, News from Seton Health, featured a story about the plan (http://www.setonhealth.org/img/document_files/Community%20Newsletter_ Winter2010.pdf). Over 50,000 copies of the newsletter are printed and distributed throughout our service area as an insert in the Times Union and the Community News. | ||
| Financial Aid Program: Seton Health has been very successful in the implementation of its financial aid program. It should be noted that, on an inpatient basis, Seton Health's proportionate care for the underserved ranks first among all hospitals in the capital region with a ratio of Medicaid/self pay patients to total patients of 26.64%. Signage and brochures with information about the program are available in all departments. There is also information about how to access the program on every bill that is sent out from Seton Health. For patients who are uninsured, we automatically apply a discount of up to 20% (25% with prompt pay). We also allow payment plans without any interest or penalty. The application for patients who wish to apply for financial assistance is very simple. We only consider monthly income (not assets). On the inpatient side, the system automatically prints out an application for the uninsured when they register. Our biggest challenge is encouraging patients to comply with the program. That is, many don't fill out the forms and provide the necessary income documents. They just refuse to pay and, depending on the circumstances, can end up in collections when they actually would have qualified for the program. The program is well-known within in the community and frequently receives referrals from community providers, social service agencies and others. Our case managers work closely with patients to help them understand and make use of the program. We also refer all of our uninsured patients to facilitated enrollers who can help them ascertain whether they might be eligible for government-sponsored insurance. A facilitated enroller is available full-time, weekdays at St. Mary's Hospital. An enroller is also available on a scheduled basis at several of our primary care locations throughout the region. Changes Impacting Community Health/Provision of Charity Care/Access to Services: Seton Health, Northeast Health and St. Peter's Health Care Services have affiliated with the merger on October 1, 2011. The rationale for the affiliation, at its core, is simple: we believe that, by combining complementary strengths, we can significantly improve our ability to meet the health care needs of the region. The intention is to: - Develop collaborative ways to deliver health care in a more coordinated, seamless fashion, - Improve efficiency and eliminate fragmentation of patient care, and - Improve access to care by the poor and underserved people in the Capital Region and beyond. A binding agreement was signed in June, 2010. In April, 2011, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) completed its review and decided not to challenge the merger. Work has begun to prepare the legal and financial documents necessary to complete the transaction and operational planning is well underway. The new company was formed on October, 1, 2011. |
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