CB2 refuses to support ArchCare
Community says that the facility has not been transparent in recent months
Sign up for low or no-cost health insurance today!
!"#
$
November 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021
GetCoveredNYC
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,16 NOV. 27-DEC. 3, 2020 BTR
311
Text CoveredNYC to 877877
Visit nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC
Not eligible for insurance?
BY JASON COHEN
The Community Board
2 meeting grew intense last
week as members vehemently
opposed giving a letter of support
for ArchCare to secure
funding for its San Vicente de
Paul Nursing Home.
San Vicente de Paul, an
assisted living and nursing
home facility located at 900
Intervale Ave., has been in
the borough for 25 years, but
has faced fi nancial struggles.
Recently, Councilman Rafael
Salamanca and members of
the board felt that the facility
had not been completely transparent
with its intentions.
According to the councilman,
who attended the Nov.
18 meeting, the issue stemmed
from a rumor that ArchCare
wanted to close the facility
due to a lack of residents. Salamanca
said that he had met
with ArchCare’s CEO Scott
LaRue and told him they must
fi nd a way to stay open.
He explained that Arch-
Care is a good facility that not
only took care of his father
until he passed away from
COVID-19 in the spring, but
also many family members of
CB2 residents.
“I understand the value
they have in our community,”
he said. “I was able to see my
dad whenever I wanted to
see him.”
He stressed that he along
with CB2 members have made
attempts to meet or speak with
ArchCare representatives, but
nothing has come to fruition.
“Let’s make something
clear, I want them to be honest
and truthful about what’s
happening,” Salamanca
said. “Their offi ce has done
a poor job in reaching out to
my offi ce.”
Others like Luis Marrero,
chair of the Health and Human
Services Committee, said
that withholding their support
was the right move.
“I think this not sending
the letter of support is sending
a clear message that St.
Vincent De Paul needs to build
a bridge again,” said Marrero.
CB2 Chair Robert Crespo
commended the health
care workers at Arch who
have risked their lives during
the pandemic, but stressed
the higher ups are causing
the problem.
“We should not be treated
in this fashion,” Crespo said.
“Every time we try to set up
something with the administration
at St. Vincent De Paul,
it was always canceled.”
LaRue spoke with the
Bronx Times about the dire
situation of the nursing home,
explaining that since the facility
is 100 percent Medicaid
supported, it has always
struggled fi nancially.
According to LaRue, things
have gotten worse because
New York is the only state
that didn’t enhance nursing
home reimbursement for Medicaid
during the pandemic.
ArchCare is trying to access
the distressed funding pool
set aside in the state budget,
which can be used for nursing
homes, but the state hasn’t
made the same commitment to
support nursing homes in poor
communities, LaRue said.
In August he sent out a letter
to the community board
and elected offi cials outlining
the situation. He hopes to
meet with them soon to sort
everything out.
He noted that he was surprised
and upset the community
board did not approve a
letter of support to help the
community resource.
“I don’t want this to be a
back and forth about who said
what, when,” he stressed. “I’m
confi dent if the community
comes together we can fi x this.
Given the economic situation
of the state, trying to pry any
money out of their hands is a
very diffi cult thing to do.”
900 Intervale Ave. Photo courtesy of ArchCare
/GetCoveredNYC