In an effort to reorganize, the New York Department of Health (NYDOH) has formed a new Office of Aging & Long Term Care (OALTC), which would oversee long term care and senior living facilities in New York.

The OALTC will be led by Adam Herbst, Deputy Commissioner on Aging & Long Term Care. The OALTC will be responsible for long term care functions related to licensure, surveys, and data collection and will develop policies and procedures to meet the needs of older New Yorkers and others who require long term care. The OALTC will work collaboratively with the Office of Health Insurance Programs, the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Management, and the New York State Office for the Aging. The OALTC will also help develop and execute New York’s Master Plan for Aging (called for in Governor Hochul’s executive budget) to improve the quality of long term care and the recruitment, retention, and training of long term care workers.

The formation of the OALTC is part of the NYDOH’s larger initiative to better promote and protect the health of all New Yorkers by focusing on five areas:

1. Investing in the NYDOH’s people;

2. Shaping the organization to reflect the NYDOH’s focus on health equity, the needs of older New Yorkers, and emergency preparedness and response;

3. Becoming more proactive by developing policy coordination and project management capabilities and simplifying critical processes;

4. Aligning public health, insurance, and regulatory tools; and

5. Improving the NYDOH’s use of data to advance its mission.

Along with the OALTC, the NYDOH is creating a new Office of Health Equity & Human Rights and new Commissioner’s Cabinet, establishing a Chief Medical Officer, and integrating the Regional Offices into public health policy making. More information can be found in the NYDOH’s press release.