The Sitrin Expansion Project FAQs

The Sitrin Expansion Project - FAQS

Frequently asked questions.

Q: What does Sitrin's expansion project include?

A: Sitrin's expansion will bring the campus a broader spectrum of facilities, programs, and services. There are three main components currently under construction:

Nine residential-style homes for long-term care – the first of their kind in New York State – offering highly personalized care in a remarkably home-like setting. Amenities will include private bedrooms and bathrooms, gardens, covered walkways, landscaped courtyards, and more.
Cedarbrook Apartments – A brand new complex that includes 44 assisted living apartments.
Renovation of two existing nursing home wings which will entail a conversion from semi-private to private rooms for 46 post-acute rehabilitation and medically complex patients, as well as individuals with significant physical impairments, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, or similar neuromuscular conditions. Additional private rooms will be made available for patients with health problems due to obesity.

Q: How will Sitrin's new long-term care residences differ from other skilled nursing facilities in the area?

A: Sitrin is the first health care facility in New York State to have received approval from the Department of Health to build long-term care residences of this kind. Unlike the traditional institutionalized setting that typifies skilled nursing facilities across the state, these unique residences offer extremely personalized care in a home-like setting. No more than 14 individuals will reside in each facility, and all residents will have a private bedroom and bathroom, plus comfortable amenities such as fireplaces, gardens, landscaped yards, and more.

Q: Who will be eligible to live in the new long-term care residences? Will Medicaid patients be accepted?

A: Anyone who qualifies for nursing home placement would be eligible to live in these residences. Medicaid is accepted as a payment source.

Q: What will happen to the existing Sitrin nursing home facility?

A: Two wings of the existing nursing home will be renovated from semi-private rooms to 46 private rooms for post-acute rehabilitation and medically complex patients, including ten beds for patients with problems resulting from obesity. Additional space will be converted to administrative offices.

Q: How many assisted living apartments will Cedarbrook make available?

A: Cedarbrook will include a total of 44 assisted living apartments with one or two bedrooms.

Q: How is the Sitrin expansion project being funded?

A: There are three principal sources of funding for the expansion:

HEAL NY Grant – The Charles T. Sitrin Health Care Center, Inc., was awarded nearly $10.7 million as part of the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New York (HEAL NY) Capital Grant Program, which will help fund this expansion.
Capital Campaign – Sitrin will launch a $3 million capital campaign in support of this expansion.
Financing – Financing for the expansion was arranged through tax exempt bonds issued by the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency, backed with a letter of credit from Key Bank as the lead, with NBT Bank participating.

Q: Why was Sitrin selected for the HEAL NY grant?

A: HEAL NY funds were awarded to nursing homes and hospitals that demonstrated a commitment to restructuring facilities to improve the quality of patient care. Sitrin was the only residential health care facility in its region to receive this substantial funding.

In May 2006, Sitrin was one of 13 nursing homes in New York State (and the first in Oneida County) to gain approval to transition a portion of its long-term care beds into Assisted Living Program (ALP) services. Part of the effort to reform long-term care services across the state, this transition to a less restrictive and less costly level of care will generate approximately $622,000 in annual savings to the Medicaid system. (Medicaid reimbursement for each assisted living bed is approximately half the regional rate for skilled nursing reimbursement.)

Q: When will the project be complete?

A: Completion of the Sitrin expansion is slated for winter of 2008.

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