Partners: Montifiore Hospital and White Plains Hospital to Merge

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The White Hospital Medical Center design for its current expansion. The Hospital accounced Thursday the expansion would continue under their new proposed partnership with Montifiore Hospital

WPCNR  WELLNESS WATCH. From White Plains Hospital. February 7, 2014:

White Plains Hospital, a leading community Hospital in Westchester County and Montefiore Health System, a premier academic medical center and the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine,  announced plans Thursday  to form a new healthcare partnership.

The Board of Directors of White Plains Hospital approved the signing of a letter of agreement to enter into a partnership with Montefiore at its February 5th Board meeting.   This new affiliation enhances the missions of both hospitals as they continue to provide advanced, quality healthcare to their communities and an expanding service area of nearly 3 million people.

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“Our Board of Directors established the qualities it sought in selecting a partner for the future, and Montefiore meets all of these criteria,”  said Jon Schandler, CEO, White Plains Hospital (Second from left, above with County Executive Robert P. Astorino)

“Our hospital provides an exceptional level of care through a close working relationship between our physicians, nurses and staff.  With Montefiore as our partner, we will be able to build upon and continue this remarkable culture and together deliver advanced health care to the entire community.”  Schandler continued.

Montefiore’s main campus is just 10 miles south of White Plains and has a growing network of practices in Westchester.

“We are excited to be embarking on this journey with White Plains Hospital.  There is tremendous synergy between our two institutions and our people and, importantly, we share fundamental values,” said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and CEO of Montefiore. “As an academic health system, Montefiore brings to the relationship the best of science and a unique expertise in coordinated care.  Our vision is to build a regional network of hospitals and community physicians closely aligned in an integrated system of care. White Plains Hospital will serve as the center of that network to strengthen and expand our position as a healthcare leader in Westchester and the Hudson Valley.”

For more than 120 years, White Plains Hospital has been a leader in providing high-quality, sophisticated, patient-focused care to the Westchester Community.  The recipient of many prestigious awards, the Hospital has been repeatedly recognized for high performing excellence in several areas including  oncology, cardiology, stroke care, gynecology and geriatrics. In 2012, White Plains Hospital received Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and in 2013 the hospital was recognized by the Joint Commission as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®.

“Over the past several years, White Plains Hospital has been actively re-defining community health care,” said Susan Fox, President, White Plains Hospital.   “Advances in technology and medicine, and recruitment of expert physicians have allowed us to increase our level of services and keep care local.”  Fox continued, “Montefiore is an academic medical center, with strong community values.   Our visions are aligned and we are excited about working closely with Montefiore and supporting the continued advancement of services provided close to home.”

Montefiore is nationally renowned for its clinical excellence, scientific discovery and innovative care. Ranked among the best in the nation, Montefiore has several notable Centers of Excellence including the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, the Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care, and the Montefiore Einstein Center for Transplantation.

The formalization of the new partnership will take several months to be finalized.  State applications will also need to be filed and approved.

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About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is a premier academic health system and the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Combining nationally-recognized clinical excellence with a population health perspective that focuses on the health needs of communities, Montefiore delivers coordinated, compassionate, science-driven care where, when and how patients need it most. Montefiore consists of six hospitals and an extended care facility with a total of 2,059 beds, a School of Nursing, and state-of-the-art primary and specialty care provided through a network of more than 150 locations across the region, including the largest school health program in the nation and a home health program.

For more information please visit www.montefiorehealthsystem.org.

About White Plains Hospital (WPH)  WPH is a 292-bed voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute health care and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas.  Centers of Excellence include the, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center.  The hospital’s Flanzer Center is the busiest Emergency Department in Westchester County, seeing over 55,000 visits a year.  White Plains Hospital is the only community hospital in Westchester County licensed to perform emergency & elective angioplasty.  The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and earned its recognition as a Top Performer for Key Quality Measures® in 2013.  The hospital is also an eleven-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation, and received Magnet® designation in 2012 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). For additional information, visit http://www.wphospital.org.

 

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Westchester Medical Center Accepts a NY Insurer.

WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. FROM THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS (EDITED) FEBRUARY 7, 2014:

WWestchester Medical Center in Valhalla haS agreed to terms with Empire Blue Cross, one of the insurance companies offering health insurance plans through the New York State health exchange. The decision will allow thousands of Westchester residents on the health insurance plan to utilize the hospital for health services.
Of all the plans being offered on the New York State exchange, Empire Blue Cross is used by the most residents. Six other insurers offer plans to Westchester residents, and Lyndon Williams, Majority Whip of the Westchester County  Board of Legislators hopes the Westchester Medical Center will work out financial details with them as well.

Previously, officials at the Westchester Medical Center said that none of the plans on the state health exchange would be honored at the hospital, citing low reimbursements for their decision. The Medical Center was the only hospital in the region not accepting insurance plans offered on the exchange.

“Thankfully, both the Medical Center and Empire Blue Cross were able to work out their differences and move forward with a decision that benefits our residents,” said Lyndon Williams, Majority Whip of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL). “This is a positive step in the right direction, and proves that issues regarding health insurance may be problematic, but can be negotiated and resolved.”

Understanding that many Westchester residents have important questions and concerns regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health insurance needs, Legislator Williams hosted and moderated a public forum last week at the Mount Vernon Campus of Montefiore Medical Center. The event included representatives from the NY State Department of Health, Montefiore Hospital and the Mount Vernon NAACP.

The press coverage surrounding the status of the Medical Center accepting the ACA plans came about as the result of the forum. Afterwards, Legislator Williams followed up with representatives of Westchester Medical Center in an attempt to ascertain whether the hospital had taken a firm position on the insurance plans offered by New York State on its health exchange.

“It’s important that our residents, with full confidence, be able to use their insurance plans at all of the hospitals in the area,” said Williams. “As I heard last week at the Town Hall meeting, people are dealing with a lot of misinformation about affordable health care and insurance plans. Residents need answers, and they expect that the parties involved with health care and public safety will work together cooperatively for the benefit of us all.”

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Commissioner of Public Safety David Chong Visits the Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday

White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA)

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 7:30 pm, at Education House (downstairs Meeting Room), 5 Homeside Lane, WP (off North Street).

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Commissioner David Chong supervising an investigation.

Our guest speaker will be WP Public Safety Commissioner David E. Chong. Commissioner Chong oversees police, fire, emergency medical services and all hazard-planning bureaus.  He will give us tips on home safety and will update us on current and future safety developments in our City.  A question and answer period will follow.

All our meetings are open to the public and start promptly at 7:30 pm.  Light refreshments will be served.

 

 

 

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Ralph Kiner — The Best Former Player Turned Announcer–Feared NL Slugger of the 40s Dies.

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. From Larry The Dutchman. February 6, 2014: 

Some of you may have read about Ralph Kiner’s passing.  For Mets’ fans, he will be remembered as one of the original voices of the Mets, along with Lindsay (loud sports jacket) Nelson and Bob Murphy.

His ratio of homeruns hit to at bats is second only to Babe Ruth and he lead the National League in homeruns for seven years in a row.

His bad back caused this former WW2 Navy pilot to have his baseball career limited.

He was, at one time, the highest paid player in the National League (at $30,000 per year) and was in the top four of his day, behind Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and (I believe) Hank Greenberg.

The name of his postgame show was “Kiner’s Korner”, a reference to the section of Pittsburgh’s home field (Forbes Field) where Ralph would typically hit his homeruns.

Ralph’s commentary on television doing Mets games was always enlightening and ruthlessly honest. When a Met made a bad play. He said so. You always learned something new about this fascinating game listening to Ralph and his easy-going style on the postgame shows made losses easier to bear and wins so much sweeter.

 Ralph was quoted in the book “Speaking of Baseball” in the section Then and Now, on today’s players compared to yesterday’s, it is a quote we all should take to heart:
“I think one of the most difficult things  for anyone who’s ever played baseball is to accept the fact that maybe the players today are playing just as well as ever.”
He also said: “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs and singles hitters drive Fords.”
So long, Ralph , I’m pouring  a glass of Rheingold Extra Dry in your honor.
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