FOLLOWING THEIR CONTINUED ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES, SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $825 THOUSAND IN HHS FUNDING FOR JAWONIO IN ROCKLAND AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES
Jawonio Serves Children, Adults, And Families With Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral Health Challenges, And Chronic Medical Needs
COVID-19 Costs Left Jawonio Drowning In Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars In Costs
Senators: After Months Of Short-Changing, Jawonio Gets Critical Dollars To Continue Care For The Hudson Valley’s Most Vulnerable
Following months of tireless advocacy for individuals with disabilities in Rockland and Westchester Counties to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that Jawonio, which serves children, adults, and families with developmental disabilities, behavioral health challenges, and chronic medical needs, has received $825,809.10 from the HHS Provider Relief Fund to supplement the lost revenue and additional costs accrued during the peak of New York’s battle with COVID-19.
The funding will help to alleviate some of the budget shortage Jawonio is facing. Specifically, Jawonio lost approximately $996 thousand in revenue by the end of May and has spent over $171 thousand to date to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare provider initially only received $7,230.02 from the HHS Provider Relief Fund in April.
“New York’s healthcare providers were our critical, frontline defense against COVID-19 and it is only with their help that we were able to flatten the curve and beat back the virus to the point where we are today. As we continue to adjust to the new normal, we must not forget the bravery and incredible sacrifices that healthcare providers like Jawonio made to care for New York’s most vulnerable in our darkest hour,” said Senator Schumer. “I will continue to fight tirelessly to make sure New York’s world-class healthcare workforce and all our hospitals and healthcare providers get all the federal support they need to get on the road to recovery.”
“New York was at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak and many of our health care providers experienced an overwhelming increase in costs due to the pandemic,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Just months after the initial outbreak, Jawonio lost nearly $100,000 in revenue but continued practicing excellent patient care and heighted COVID-19 precautions despite having limited resources on hand. This critical funding will help Jawonio recover during this unprecedented health crisis and continue their great work for patients in the Hudson Valley.”
“We thank Senator Schumer for his consistent advocacy and tremendous leadership in helping Jawonio secure the provider relief funds from HHS. We are also very grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her efforts on behalf of our agency as well. These critical funds will help to mitigate some of the losses related to our COVID-19 expenses and will help to support our frontline caregivers and staff. This is a huge relief in a time when we are experiencing significant cuts to our programs and increased expenses,” said Randi L. Rios-Castro, Executive Director and CEO of Jawonio.
Schumer and Gillibrand played a significant role in helping Jawonio secure the funding announced today. Not only was Schumer the lead author and architect of the ‘Marshall Plan for Healthcare’, in the CARES Act, securing hundreds of billions of dollars in support and relief for the health care system, he also alerted Jawonio and other Hudson Valley disability providers that they may have been being short-changed by HHS and spent months directly corresponding with the agency to secure more funding. Specifically, in July, Schumer reached out directly to HHS demanding to know why Jawonio had only received an initial $7,230 from the HHS Provider Fund when the provider treated close to 50 COVID-19 patients with disabilities. The senators demanded that HHS consider Jawonio for additional payment and today, after their continued advocacy, the disabilities nonprofit received an additional $825,809.10 in much-needed funding. Additionally, Schumer and Gillibrand supported Jawonio during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak — helping their efforts to secure critical PPE and additional funding when they faced increased costs and economic hardship.
Jawonio is the 6th largest employer in Rockland County with a budget of $49 million dollars. The nonprofit agency was founded in 1947 and today employs 949 throughout Rockland and Westchester Counties providing lifespan services for 2,983 children, adults, and families with special needs annually. Jawonio’s main campus is in New City, with a Westchester facility in Yonkers.
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