On January 9th, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) released two Requests for Applications (RFAs) as part of the fourth phase of the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program (SHCFTP IV).
As in previous rounds of the program, SHCFTP IV funding will be used to support capital projects that facilitate health care transformation initiatives. The two RFAs released this week will focus on activities “intended to build innovative patient-centered models of care, to increase access to care, to improve quality of care, and to ensure financial sustainability of providers” (the General RFA) and on community-based alternatives to the traditional nursing home model of care (the NH Alternatives RFA).
This funding derives from the April 2022 budget, covering Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2023, and a wider range of provider types are eligible than in past rounds.
SPG’s full summary of these two RFAs is available here. Below is a brief summary of the RFAs.
Also, the issuance of these two RFAs follows the January 2nd release of a third, separate tranche of SHCFTP capital funding allocated specifically for “technology and telehealth projects” (the Technology RFA). SPG’s summary of the Technology RFA is available here. The full RFA is available here. Please note that applicants to the Technology RFA must submit only one application and that projects may not overlap between RFAs.
General RFA
Under this RFA, interested entities may submit one or more applications to support capital projects or related expenses with the goal of “facilitating health care transformation activities.”
Allowable purposes may include:
- Capital expenditures (planning, design, construction, renovation, etc.);
- Debt retirement and restructuring;
- Working capital; or
- Other non-capital projects directly related to a capital project.
Note that applicants must submit separate applications for non-capital projects or debt retirement and restructuring purposes, even if they are part of the same overall purpose for which an application for a capital project(s) is also being submitted.
Priority will be given to eligible applicants in severe financial distress or that demonstrate how the proposed use of the grant will strengthen their financial sustainability and protect continued access to critical health services in their communities.
As allocated in the FY 2022-23 budget, the expected total pool of funding awards allocated through this RFA is up to $750 million, although DOH also indicated in a separate message that this round may comprise only $250 million of the available funds.
By statute, of the total allocation of $750 million, at least $25 million must be awarded to community-based health care providers and at least $25 million must be awarded to community-based behavioral health care providers. However, these allocations are not explicitly specified in the RFA.
The full RFA is available here. Applications are due by March 26th.
NH Alternatives RFA
Under this RFA, interested entities may submit one or more applications to support capital projects that will “transform, redesign, and strengthen the quality and innovation of residential healthcare services and programs in the continuum of long-term care.” This may include, but is but not limited to, the conversion of traditional nursing homes into separate residential-style homes.
Allowable expenses include capital expenditures, as described above. Note that debt retirement and restructuring are noot eligible expenses for this pool.
Priority may be given to projects that create a patient-centered approach to achieve better quality of life outcomes for older adults.
As allocated in the FY 2022-2023 Budget, the expected total pool of funding for awards allocated through this RFA is up to $50 million.
The full RFA is available here. Applications are due by April 9th.