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REACH outlines plan for 20-unit blended medical-respite and supportive housing at former shelter
Summary
REACH Medical proposed converting 618 West State St. into a 20-unit facility combining 10 long-term supportive units and 10 medical-respite beds, saying the model cuts inpatient days by about 40% and can leverage managed Medicaid reimbursements and state grants to sustain operations.
Samantha Stevenson, director of operations at REACH Medical, told the Tompkins County Health & Human Services Committee on March 12 that REACH plans to convert the former shelter at 618 West State St. into a blended supportive-housing and medical-respite facility that would house both permanent supportive tenants and short-term medical-respite patients.
Stevenson said REACH serves roughly 10,000 unique patients across 56 New York counties, with about 2,000 patients remaining in care locally. "Medical respite guarantees that people being released from the hospital will have a dignified place to recover," she said, adding that peer-reviewed implementations of the model show a roughly 40% reduction in inpatient days and a 26% reduction in emergency-department visits.
Why it matters: REACH said pairing on-site medical staff with permanent supportive housing could reduce hospital readmissions, relieve pressure on local shelters and produce Medicaid savings that make operations sustainable. Stevenson said medical-respite programs are certified by New York State and require on-site staffing 24/7, three prepared meals per day, and a bed-to-bed referral process from the hospital.
Funding and timeline: REACH said it holds a fully executed purchase contract for the 618 property and has applied for HHAP and other capital rounds. Stevenson told the committee REACH has secured a New York State transformation grant and an Empire State Housing Initiative (ESHA/ESHAi) award to offset capital costs and that the organization expects HHAP awards later in the year. She described the nonprofit’s current financial risk as the cost of holding site control while applying for capital funding.
Questions and concerns: Committee members asked whether the facility would prioritize Tompkins County residents and whether it might accept regional referrals. Stevenson said the program would prioritize county residents but could accept referrals from neighboring counties under the 11-15 waiver network if capacity allows. Members also pressed on who would operate the facility and how needs would be assessed; Stevenson said REACH is working with hospital partners at "CMC" for daily rounding and referral coordination.
Costs and risks: REACH acknowledged the organization is taking on short-term financial risk by acquiring site control before full capital awards are guaranteed. The transcript included a numeric figure for carrying costs that appeared garbled; the committee did not receive a clarified, market-verified total during the presentation. Stevenson said REACH plans to leverage managed Medicaid reimbursements for much of ongoing care, along with capital grants for construction.
What’s next: REACH will continue design and funding work and return to the committee with updates; REACH and hospital partners will refine bed counts and referral protocols in advance of capital award decisions.
