Blog Posts

CEO Update: June 14, 2024

6/14/2024

NYS Legislature Passes Three EMS Bills at End of Legislative Session

The New York State Legislature has passed three significant EMS bills, now awaiting Governor Hochul's signature:

Treatment in Place (TIP) and Transportation to an Alternate Provider (TAP): This bill allows EMS agencies to be compensated for treating Medicaid patients at the scene or transporting them to non-hospital facilities. Currently, EMS agencies bear these costs themselves. This change aims to improve financial sustainability for EMS and expand patient care options.
Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusions: This bill permits EMS providers to administer blood transfusions in pre-hospital settings, enhancing the level of care that can be delivered on-site.
Expansion of Property Tax Exemption Eligibility: This legislation expands eligibility for property tax exemptions for EMS personnel, recognizing their critical role and providing them with financial relief.

This marks the third consecutive year of substantial legislative achievements for EMS. While several additional EMS reform bills are upcoming, these advancements represent significant strides in the right direction for EMS in New York State.

Improving Healthcare Accessibility

We are excited to announce our partnership with the Belfast Public Library and the Scio Memorial Library to establish two new telehealth room locations. Once the equipment is set up, these additions will bring our total number of telehealth rooms to eight across Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. This initiative highlights our ongoing commitment to improving healthcare accessibility within our community.
For more information about our telehealth rooms or to reserve one for your next appointment, please visit www.sthcs.org/telehealth.

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CEO Update: June 7, 2024

6/7/2024

Mercy Flight Open House

Tomorrow, June 8, Southern Tier Health Care System is teaming up with Mercy Flight’s Olean Base. We will be there from 1 to 4 p.m. to help the community "Kick off to a safe summer!” Sydney will share tips on home, bike, and summer safety. We will also be doing car seat checks. Come by and help us spread important safety information to the community!

Mobile Integrated Healthcare/Community Paramedicine (MIH/CP)

I previously shared that STHCS received a planning grant from the NY Health Foundation’s Special Projects Fund. This grant is for planning a community paramedicine program in our area. I am excited to announce that we have started working with our consultant, Peter Carpino of The Carpino Group, to create our plan for the MIH/CP program. I will keep you updated as we make progress.