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January 10, 2023

Statement from HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD, on Gov. Hochul’s 2023 State of the State

We applaud Gov. Hochul for recognizing some of the most significant challenges that threaten the sustainability of our hospitals and healthcare systems today. These challenges are far-reaching and complex, and without new investments and policies to reverse the current trajectory, enduring.

The governor’s State of the State lays out a set of proposals to meet these challenges, including establishing a Commission on the Future of Health Care. Building on last year’s workforce initiatives, we commend the governor for proposing measures to reform traveling nurse staffing agency practices, make temporary workforce flexibilities permanent, expand the scope of practice for healthcare workers including emergency medical services, and streamline the process for qualified healthcare workers to practice in the state.

We also appreciate the governor’s recognition of the tremendous need for state investment and support for mental health services across the care continuum. Increasing capacity for inpatient and outpatient mental health services, creating more housing and expanding insurance coverage are all instrumental to begin addressing longstanding gaps in mental healthcare We look forward to ongoing work with the administration to make sure that sufficient flexibility, state support and critical workforce are in place to ensure patients have access to care and to make returning psychiatric beds to service sustainable.

From streamlining the Certificate of Need process and improving healthcare cybersecurity to expanding capital funding and access to primary care, we applaud Gov. Hochul’s strong commitment to addressing some of the most vexing problems in healthcare.

We look forward to working with the governor and legislature to improve baseline Medicaid payment rates and advance other proposals to ensure our hospitals, healthcare systems and nursing homes have a stable workforce and financial security — so they can continue to provide access to quality care to all New Yorkers.