NYSACHO is working to compile a comprehensive list of barriers related to HRI contracting, billing and reimbursement. If your county experiences difficulties with HRI that are not included on the attached list, please reply back to Alexis Hariprashad (alexis@Nysacho.org) with the specific examples you wish to include. Once compiled, we plan to bring this to HRI and DOH leadership to communicate our concerns and try to alleviate some of these burdens. Please respond before 5pm EST on Tuesday November 12, 2019.

We don’t have any concerns. They are pretty easy to work with and get back to us quickly. We just received payment of our last grant claim within 10 days of submitting the grant to them.

We are not experiencing the issues listed as we know what documentation they need for each claim.  The only issue we’ve experienced over the years is that HRI and NYSDOH repetitively email for the status of the same document(s), such as executed contracts.  It would be helpful if they had one central email that goes to both HRI & NYSDOH so that we do not have to communicate with both agencies separately.

OMB Circular letters:
The final OMB audit submittal by the county is not officially due until September, however we get some pretty strongly worded letters for months leading up to that date. While we understand and appreciate the reminder/warning; even if we respond explaining that we will not have it until September, we continue to get the letters each month.

Stringent Interpretation of Funding Uses:
The funding barriers associated with the PHEP funding awards are not solely an HRI issue, but the interpretation sometimes is very stringent and leads to inability to use funds for items that would be beneficial for our PHEP. An example is a “800” Hotline that we established with PHEP funds ago. We can no longer use the PHEP grant funds for this as we have been told we could not if there were any non-PHEP messages or uses. We felt (feel) that the best use of the “800 Hotline” is to get residents familiar with calling that number, so they are aware and familiar during a real event. There would not be time to advertise/make people aware once an event has happened to make them aware of the “800 Hotline” for updated information related to the event and PHEP. The best way is to bring them other messages which will lead them to test and use the 800 Hotline, so already prepared to call in an event. However, this has been determined to be outside of the eligibility for PHEP funding. Again, this may not be solely an HRI issue/determination.

Essex does not have concerns.

We have nothing further to add. Thank you.

Please see the attached list of HRI claiming issues compiled by our Federal and State Aid claiming unit. I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions. See “Issues for HRI-Suffolk County”.

Once a reimbursement submission has been sent, we get an email from one person requesting additional information.  That information is supplied and then an email comes from a different person requesting additional information.  It could be the same information or something totally different.  Having a “team” review the submission and compiling 1 list of “issues” would eliminate multiple emails with multiple requests.

We agree with all the points already submitted. In addition, we would like to add HRI’s budget review process. When HRI reviews a grant budget for approval, they send over questions one at a time. We then would answer the question, maybe even change the budget and then they would ask another question, not related to the first. This is usually done multiple times until the budget is approved. It would be more efficient if HRI reviews the grant budget in its entirety and provide us with one set of questions.

1. HRI requiring us to submit a budget mod when an employee is hired to a vacant budget  line already approved & also when a change in fringe rate, even though sufficient funds are available.
2. Frequent audit by HRI auditors even though back up documents are provided after review of monthly voucher.