OGDENSBURG – Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center will receive $14,376, 607 from the state to aid with debt restructuring and financial stabilization.

The funding is part of $54.8 million in grant awards for 13 projects aimed at improving health care in the North Country.

The awards are being made through the Capital Restructuring Financing Program and Essential Health Care Provider Support Program. Both were created by Governor Cuomo to support the goals of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP), the main mechanism for investing the $7.3 billion in Medicaid savings that resulted from the groundbreaking waiver between New York and the federal government in 2014.

The goals of DSRIP include reducing health care costs, improving the health of New Yorkers, reducing avoidable hospital admissions and emergency room visits by 25 percent by 2020, and ensuring the financial sustainability of safety net health care providers.

St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators Chairman John Burke said the announcement from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was great news for the North Country.

"St. Lawrence County's health care system has received a much needed boost from New York State today. We are grateful to Governor Cuomo for his continued support of the North Country."

State representatives in the Senate and Assembly also praised the announcement.

“In our rural communities, it’s vitally important to preserve and strengthen access to hospitals and health care. I’m pleased to see this investment in the health of New Yorkers, and am looking forward to continuing to work to make sure that our rural hospitals have the support they need, and people in our region have access to quality medical care,"
 Senator Patty Ritchie, Chair of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, said.

"This funding is a game changer for North Country hospitals, which are a major part of the fabric of our community. This critical state investment will enable the hospitals to continue serving our community and providing a wide range of services so that North Country families can stay close to home when they or their loved ones require medical care," 
Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell said.

Nearby River Hospital in Alexandria Bay, which shares some services with CHMC, will receive $2.7 million.

Additionally Massena Memorial Hospital will receive $5.8 million. See more on that here.