The Latest From DOH – May 2025
The Situation Report | May 27, 2025
On May 21, 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. The next meeting will be June 17.
Some of the items discussed at this meeting included:
Training Compliance
Millie Ferriter, director of the Division of Home & Community Based Services Surveillancesaid the Department has been surveying on compliance with the cultural competence training issued in DAL # HCBS 24-04 and clarified in DRS #25-02 for New York Home Health Aide, Personal Care Aide, and Certified Nurse Aide training programs, and findings thus far indicate a lack of implementation with regards to PCA trainings. The Department will begin citing non-compliance beginning in June. HCANYS reminds home care and hospice providers that the requisite cultural competency training has been developed and is available on the New York Learns Public Health Learning Management System. [Once registered, learners may locate Course #OALTC-603 under the Course and Program Catalog by conducting a Catalog search for the term “Affirming." After the course is completed, the registered user will receive a confirmation certificate that should be retained for documentation.]
Guidance for HHA and PCA Training Programs to update their curricula is outlined on pg 3 of DAL# HCBS 24-04.
Statistical Reports
Michael Chittenden, director of the Center for Home & Community Based Services, said the statistical reports for Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), and Hospices 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.
HCANYS will inform members immediately upon rollout. From the HCANYS perspective, this is a very timely and encouraging development within DOH. It is also quite noteworthy since the HCANYS-written legislation requiring more time for submission of the LHCSA Statistical Report (S7531 sponsored by Senator Chris Ryan) has just advanced out of the Senate Health Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar ready to be voted on.
Surveys
Following the change to surveys for nursing homes and adult care facilities, Valerie Deetz, deputy director of OALTC, announced that the weekly Health Electronic Response Data System (HERDS) surveys for home care providers are in the final stages of review and approval.
OALTC is looking at the questions being asked, such as the COVID reporting requirements and looking more closely at the type of patients being served and geography versus volume, adding some new meaningful questions and removing others. HCANYS has long advocated for the 13 COVID-related questions to be removed from the survey.
One required two-part question, specific to Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), will be added.
A webinar will be scheduled the day before the new surveys open. OALTC staff will be available to help during the initial rollout.
Deetz added that the OALTC hosted a session on workplace safety with nursing homes; they will hold similar programs with home care and hospice in the near future.
DOH Lunch & Learn Education Series
Ferriter announced that the next webinar planned for May has been pushed back to June. Topics have been determined for the rest of the year. HCANYS will update members upon its announcement.
Archived webinars are now available here.