3600 - Declaration of legislative findings and intent.

§   3600.   Declaration   of  legislative  findings  and  intent.  The  legislature hereby finds and declares that the provision of high quality  home care services to residents of New York state is a priority concern.  Expanding these services to make them available throughout the state  as  a  viable  part  of  the  health  care  system  and as an alternative to  institutional care should be a primary focus of the state's actions.    Home health care has only recently been recognized legislatively as an  integral part of the health care delivery system and has proven to  have  an  important  and  valuable  role  in  patient care. The certified home  health agencies render a coordinated array of services  to  patients  in  their    homes,   thereby   avoiding   prolonged   institutionalization,  concomitant  high  costs  and  associated  adverse  social  and  medical  implications.    The  legislature  intends  that  there  be  a public commitment to the  appropriate  provision  and  expansion  of  services  rendered  to   the  residents  of  the  state  by  certified  home  health  agencies, to the  maintenance of a consistently high level of services by  all  home  care  services agencies, to the central collection and public accessibility of  information  concerning  all  organized  home  care services, and to the  adequate regulation and coordination of existing home care services.