The Latest From DOH - August 2025
The Situation Report | August 18, 2025
On August 7, 2025, HCANYS and other associations representing the long-term care continuum met with the state Department of Health (DOH) Office of Aging and Long Term Care (OALTC). The DOH holds meetings with the associations to provide updates and give the participants the opportunity to raise any issues.
Some of the items discussed at this meeting included:
Master Plan
The Center for the Master Plan on Aging is changing now that the plan has been unveiled. Former Deputy Director Ana Sofia Winans, director of the Bureau of Multisector Planning, will lead the day-to-day activities of the MPA.
Andrew Lebwohl, former director of the Center, will lead the Center for Long Term Care Licensure, Planning and Finance involved in next steps of the MPA.
Hospice
Kara Travis, director of the Center for Hospice & Palliative Care, said the Center has nearly completed its listening tour across the state with hospices.
Statistical Reports
Michael Chittenden, director of the Center for Home & Community Based Services, previewed the Dear Administrator Letter on licensure for LHCSAs that was issued on August 8.
Statistical reports for Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), and Hospices, specifically LHCSAs, are expected to be released by October 1 with a final deadline of December 31. The goal is to avoid a short form process this year. Chittenden said the intention is to give providers a full quarter to register and report for the new year.
HCANYS will send an alert to members upon receipt of the reports’ opening for submission.
DOH Lunch & Learn Education Series
Michael Chittenden, director of the Center for Home & Community Based Services, said that topics have been determined for the rest of the year for its Lunch and Learn Series.
August 19 from 1-2 pm: Nursing Home Transition and Diversion / Traumatic Brain Injury (NHTD/TBI). Registration is available here.
September: Alzheimer's Disease Program
October: Money Follows the Person Program
November: TBD: A comparison of Home Health Aide and Personal Care Aide Duties, or a guest speaker on Criminal History Records Checks
December: No webinar- break for the holidays
January: Decided but not announced.
Dates will be distributed soon as an alert.
DOH continues to seek ideas for webinar topics especially from CHHAs and hospices. Send your suggestions for DOH Lunch and Learn webinars to
Archived webinars are now available here. HCANYS encourages you to take advantage of these complimentary webinars.
Emergency Preparedness
OALTC expects one member from each provider to log into the Health Commerce System daily. Providers are strongly urged to ensure complete profiles on the Health Commerce System, particularly up-to-date names of staff, cell phone numbers, and email addresses. It is imperative for the DOH to be able to reach a provider at any given time. The Department issued a Dear Administrator Letter.
HCANYS likewise asks every HCANYS organizational member that enrolls in the HCS to please verify and, as necessary, update the information on your organization and your key contacts on the HCS site, especially the person or persons mandated for 24x7 contact availability. As HCANYS serves as a collaborative and contracted partner to the state and to NYC for health emergency preparedness, it is essential to role of the home and community-based services sector to maintain updated and fully functional HCS participation information.
If you are experiencing any issues with your HCS account or have been closed out, please contact
For further information on DOH’s most recent HCS changes, please email the HCS Account Management Unit (CAMU) at