Increasingly, counties across New York state are providing emergency medical services (EMS), amid a drop in EMS workers and inadequate funding, but more state action is needed to ensure localities are able to provide dependable emergency services around the state, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
Between 2013 and 2022, there was a 23% increase in the number of individuals served by the State’s public mental health system. The rising need for mental health services coincided with a loss of 990 beds, a 10.5% drop in capacity, in inpatient psychiatric facilities statewide between April 2014 and December 2023. Ensuring the availability of inpatient mental health services is a critical component of the State’s effort to address the ongoing mental health challenges facing the State and improve the lives of vulnerable New Yorkers.
The mental health needs of New Yorkers have greatly increased, with 21.1% of adults struggling with mental Illness and 5.1% with a severe mental illness in 2021-2022, according to federal data. Between 2013 and 2022, there was a 23% increase in the number of individuals served by the state’s public mental health system, with nearly 900,000 residents utilizing the services. According to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn, and Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia announced the arrest of former Deputy Erie County Clerk Alexander McDougall for allegedly stealing over $200,000 in county funds.
Even as many small businesses shuttered their doors or struggled through the pandemic, entrepreneurs in New York continued to identify and pursue new opportunities, according to an analysis by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. New York exceeds the nation in the share of businesses that are majority female and minority-owned; however, they continue to represent less than one-quarter of all owners in New York state.
In 2021, New York ranked high among states for business creation; however, some business owners may face impediments to creating a new enterprise. While New York exceeds the nation in the share of businesses that are majority female and minority-owned, they continue to represent less than one-quarter of all owners in the State. Entrepreneurship is vital to the economic health of the State, and ensuring equitable access to the capital and tools for business creation are also important for New York’s future.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), and the New York State Police today announced the arrests of former Executive Director of the West Carthage Housing Authority (WCHA) Jan Hoffman for allegedly stealing over $48,000 in WCHA funds, and Katherine (Katie) Pais, Hoffman’s mother and former WCHA consultant, for allegedly aiding in and concealing the scheme.
New York State’s Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) has provided financing for over 2,000 essential local water infrastructure projects totaling more than $23.7 billion since 1990, but the estimated capital improvement needs for water and sewer projects far exceeds this amount, and tens of billions of dollars in local projects remain in the pipeline, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced Contracts by the Numbers, a new web page with a dashboard that expands the procurement search tools provided in Open Book New York. This new tool lets users perform more robust searches on state agency and public authority contracts, including identifying who has the biggest and most contracts with New York state.
The two principles of Phinaliz Communications LLC, Philip Mtui and Mbaga Kaiza, were indicted for their alleged role in a scheme to steal more than $1 million from Medicaid by filing false and inflated reimbursements for transportation services, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today on behalf of the joint state, local and federal investigating agencies.
