Grant appeals receive support

State government representatives from the north country support two competing applications for state grants for elder care facilities in Jefferson County.

Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, and Assemblywoman Dierdre K. Scozzafava, R-Gouverneur, wrote letters of support for both a $34 million application of a consortium of organizations, led by Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown, and for Mercy of Northern New York.

"The senator supports establishing a community based solution to address the needs of our aging neighbors and family along the continuum of care from assisted living to skilled nursing facilities," said Andrew G. Mangione, the senator's spokesman. "Since his service in the Assembly, the Senator has been proactive in this cause and has weighed in on behalf of both applicants to help ensure that the HEAL funding is directed here to address the needs of seniors throughout our region."

Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, wrote a letter of support for Samaritan's application, but hadn't been asked for a similar letter by Mercy as of Monday afternoon, she said.

The letters endorse the applications for money from the Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers, or HEAL NY, grant. Applications were due on Wednesday.

Samaritan, Carthage Area Hospital, the Watertown Housing Authority and the Community Assisted Living Corp. and Jefferson County submitted a $34 million request for a $70.3 million project to build two new long-term care facilities in the county. One facility would be on outer Washington Street on property owned by Samaritan and the other would be in Carthage on property to be bought by Carthage's hospital.

Mercy official Mike S. McCoy has said the consortium project left Mercy out of the talks and offered only a small portion of the grant funds for demolition of Mercy's building.

Mr. McCoy has not divulged details of Mercy's application, but wrote in a July 20 e-mail to CALC board members that it could "phase the ownership of the organization back to the community in the form of a not-for-profit organization led by a community-based board of directors."

He did not return a call seeking comment on Monday.

The corporation's board of directors president, James A. Nabywaniec, has said that the consortium's application was stronger because Mercy was not be included.

He also said last week that numerous meetings over the last few years on elder care included Mercy, but their attendance wasn't consistent. He and other officials had informal discussion with Mercy about working together on the HEAL grant application, but Mercy wanted a larger portion of money.

The applications are competing for pieces of $150 million the state has available through the grant. Money for one in the region or both is not guaranteed.

The county has pledged $5 million towards the consortium project, which will eliminate the need for the county to run the Home for the Aged, also known as Whispering Pines.

The city sent a letter of support for Mercy's application at that hospital's request. The city has not been asked to endorse the consortium project, to City Manager Mary M. Corriveau's knowledge on Monday.