The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century was established in April 2005 (Ch. 63) and charged with was charged with reviewing the state's acute and long-term care systems and submitting its recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than December 1, 2006. The commission, which was chaired by Stephen Berger and commonly referred to as the Berger Commission, consisted of eighteen statewide members and thirty-six regional members. Six Regional Advisory Committees were responsible for making non-binding recommendations to the commission regarding the closure or consolidation of acute and long-term health care facilities. Owing to the absence of formal gubernatorial or legislative objections, the recommendations outlined in the commission's final report acquired the force of law on January 1, 2007. The legislation creating the commission formally expired on June 30, 2008.
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The commission reviewed financial data submitted by hospitals and nursing homes, met with representatives of trade associations, organized labor, and other stakeholders, and held public hearings throughout the state. Its December 2006 final report recommended restructuring these systems to reduce excess capacity, achieve cost savings, and ensure the fiscal health of the state's hospitals and nursing homes. It also recommended broad policy reform in the areas of reimbursement, care for the uninsured, primary care infrastructure, workforce development, the operations of teaching hospitals within the State University of New York system, county-owned nursing homes, and information technology.
L. 2005, Ch. 63
