As protests heighten in urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and State College of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John B. King, Jr. to reverse course on the proposed closure of SUNY Downstate Hospital, State Assemblyman Brian Cunningham has vowed by no means to assist closing the most important hospital in Central Brooklyn.
“I need to deal with the latest issues relating to the way forward for Downstate Hospital. Let me be unequivocal: Closing SUNY Downstate shouldn’t be an choice that’s on the desk or one which I’d ever assist,” mentioned Cunningham, consultant for the 43rd Meeting District in Central Brooklyn, in a letter to constituents on Friday.
“Nevertheless, it’s no secret that Downstate, like many hospitals throughout our borough and state, faces monetary challenges resulting from Medicare reimbursement charges set by the federal authorities,” added the son of a Jamaican immigrant mom. “Designating the hospital as a COVID-only hospital has solely exacerbated its monetary scenario by limiting the procedures carried out on the positioning.
“Final month, the governor and chancellor developed a plan they believed would each save the establishment and supply the standard care the neighborhood deserves. I’ve been clear that neighborhood enter and engagement have to be on the forefront of the dialog,” Cunningham continued. “I’m dedicated to preserving the healthcare assets and jobs that the establishment offers.
“Whereas I’m open to a reimagining course of to make sure long-term stability and solvency, I can not and won’t stand for a course of that doesn’t put our communities’ wants first,” he mentioned, stating that he lately launched laws with Sen. Kevin Parker, consultant for the 21st Senate District in Brooklyn, which might set up a SUNY Downstate Medical Assist Fund to offer monetary assist for infrastructural upgrades and growth.
Cunningham mentioned this invoice will facilitate analysis and growth grants in medical and health-related fields, supply scholarships and monetary help, and assist neighborhood well being initiatives and outreach applications.
As well as, he mentioned the Brooklyn Well being Care Fee can be established in analyzing the system of common hospitals, nursing houses, ambulatory and first care services, and medical faculty services in Kings County, and recommending adjustments to that system.
“These two payments, coupled with A07546, authored by Sen. (Zellnor) Myrie and me, will develop a sustainability plan for the State College of New York’s Downstate Medical Middle,” Cunningham mentioned. “As the method continues, my fellow elected officers and I will likely be in shut contact with SUNY management and the general public.
“The work of governing is difficult, and requires the lively participation of its citizenry,” he added. “I’ll proceed to struggle for the neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn, whereas I’m in Albany, and I stay up for making certain our priorities and values are mirrored in each my laws and the New York State Price range.”
Final Tuesday, Myrie joined colleagues, healthcare employees and labor leaders in an enormous rally in Albany in interesting to Hochul and King to halt the proposed closure of SUNY Downstate Hospital.
“Our neighborhood, our folks, walked previous fridges with useless folks in them; we had medical doctors who had coronary heart assaults; and you’ve got the temerity to inform us you need us to go; how expensive you!” Myrie, whose grandmother hailed from Jamaica and who represents the 20th Senate District in Central Brooklyn, informed the vociferous rally in Albany.
“We would like you to serve’, and we serve; and, for that, we get a slap within the face,” added Myrie, flanked by colleagues, healthcare employees and labor leaders. “Once I had COVID, Downstate saved my life, and also you inform us Downstate has to shut.
“We reject this plan!” he declared. “And don’t come to Central Brooklyn for votes as a result of that is an election cycle. You’ll hear from us till justice is finished.”
Myrie mentioned SUNY-Downstate – New York Metropolis’s solely State-run hospital, one among solely two regional perinatal facilities in Brooklyn – offers care to his most weak constituents.
“Within the face of deep healthcare disparities, it’s merely unconscionable that the governor and SUNY would suggest shuttering Downstate,” he mentioned. “We’ll stand strongly against any plan that reduces entry to care the place we all know it’s wanted most.”
George Gresham, president of the labor union 1199SEIU, informed the rally: “We can not sit idle whereas New York’s hospitals fall like dominoes — Kingsbrook Jewish, Jap Niagara, Mt. Sinai Beth Israel, and now SUNY Downstate.
“Hospital closures have dire penalties for our state, significantly in low-income communities and communities of coloration, which have already got fewer hospital beds and face obtrusive healthcare inequities,” he warned. “With New York sitting on practically $50 billion in reserves, there’s merely no purpose why we needs to be going through a healthcare emergency.
“Gov. Hochul should go a finances that saves hospitals by ending the Medicaid underpayments which might be a root explanation for this disaster,” Gresham added.
United College Professions (UUP), the nation’s largest larger schooling union, which represents over 2, 300 employees at Downstate, mentioned SUNY’s plan to make drastic adjustments within the construction and operation of SUNY Downstate Well being Sciences College “will as an alternative undermine the hospital’s central mission and the Brooklyn communities it serves.”
UUP President Frederick E. Kowal mentioned that SUNY’s plan would “basically relegate the security web hospital to a wing in Kings County Hospital Middle; different well being care companies can be farmed out to neighboring hospitals.
“This can unequivocally outcome within the closure of SUNY Downstate,” he mentioned. “SUNY is looking its imaginative and prescient for Downstate a change, however it’s something however that. Let’s name this what it’s: SUNY is closing Downstate.”
In an e-letter, extensively circulated by the Motion Community and sponsored by the UUP, the UUP urges Gov. Kathy to “cease SUNY’s ill-conceived plan to close down the general public instructing hospital at SUNY Downstate Well being Sciences College in Brooklyn.
“SUNY’s plan would basically relegate the security web hospital to a wing in Kings County Hospital Middle; different well being care companies can be farmed out to neighboring hospitals,” the letter cautions. “This can completely outcome within the closure of SUNY Downstate.
“By sending this e-letter, you might be asking Gov. Hochul to work with the Legislature and all stakeholders to provide you with a sustainability plan for SUNY Downstate,” it provides.
On Wednesday, SUNY introduced that it’s going to launch a “community-driven visioning course of” to form its proposed $300 million capital funding “to construct a stronger SUNY Downstate.”
“SUNY will have interaction in a sturdy engagement course of, together with neighborhood surveys and 5 themed focus teams and stakeholder classes in February and March,” the assertion mentioned.
In mid-March, SUNY mentioned it’s going to publish a report detailing findings and suggestions.
“After intensive evaluation of neighborhood well being wants, hospital utilization within the Downstate service space, the perilous situation of the Downstate constructing, and historic and present patterns in Downstat’s capability, SUNY and the Government Chamber have established a set of rules to information the trail ahead,” SUNY mentioned.
It mentioned the neighborhood survey and focus teams will have interaction Downstate college students, alumni, college, employees, and sufferers; Central Brooklyn residents; healthcare advocates; community-based organizations; and religion leaders.
SUNY mentioned the method will start with a wants evaluation “to raised perceive stakeholders’ perspective on the present state of affairs at SUNY Downstate’s well being sciences college and instructing hospital, adopted by a visioning course of to make sure that community-sourced concepts inform SUNY’s plan for a stronger Downstate in any respect ranges.”
SUNY mentioned the stakeholder workshops and focus teams will have interaction Downstate personnel and neighborhood members on their issues and aspirations surrounding quite a lot of matters, together with the next themes: Wants Evaluation — tackling Well being Disparities in Central Brooklyn — assessing the sensible affect of systemic well being inequities on Downstate’s surrounding neighborhoods; Coaching the Healthcare Workforce of Tomorrow – participating college students, college, and employees on the tutorial expertise at Downstate and producing concepts to modernize schooling, coaching, and analysis capabilities; and Constructing a Safe Future for Downstate Employees – listening to and addressing workforce issues about how Downstate’s future will have an effect on them.
Different themes are: Visioning Course of – Investing in an Inexpensive, Accessible Neighborhood – envisioning a future for the Downstate hospital web site that meets the holistic wants of its Brooklyn neighborhood; and Envisioning a Stronger Downstate for All of Us – creating suggestions for Downstate’s tutorial and healthcare future pushed by neighborhood enter.
Whereas SUNY Downstate continues to deal with systemic well being disparities in Brooklyn and past, it mentioned “the hospital is at risk of failing after years of monetary instability and a facility in disrepair.”
It mentioned healthcare services throughout the nation are additionally seeing extra care being delivered exterior of the hospital, stating that “Downstate, which experiences decrease mattress utilization charges and big finances deficits, isn’t any exception.”
Moreover, SUNY famous that the State Division of Well being lately launched a examine on healthcare inequities in Brooklyn, highlighting the affect of race and ethnicity, foreign-born standing and socioeconomic standing on well being disparities within the borough.
SUNY mentioned the report “underscores the pressing want for a daring plan to stabilize and strengthen Downstate, so it may well pursue its important mission for generations to come back.”
“Downstate is a gem of the SUNY system, and this historic funding will put us on monitor to raised serve our college students and neighborhood,” Chancellor King mentioned. “The established order places our neighborhood together with our employees and sufferers at catastrophic danger, and we can not permit that to proceed. We’re dedicated to working in partnership with the neighborhood and all stakeholders to construct a robust future for Downstate.”
“It is a new chapter for Downstate, one crammed with challenges and alternatives,” SUNY Downstate President Dr. Wayne J. Riley mentioned. “Our neighborhood’s enter in shaping the transformation course of will assist us construct a sustainable, vibrant future for this important establishment.”
Working with neighborhood companions and stakeholders, SUNY mentioned it intends to place ahead a “daring plan to safe a stronger, extra steady future for Downstate’s college students, employees and school whereas enhancing the standard and amount of healthcare companies out there to Brooklyn residents.”
It mentioned the capital funding, which will likely be knowledgeable by stakeholder enter, is meant to: Proceed to offer major and specialty care and ambulatory surgical procedure and increase entry to pressing care; improve the tutorial expertise for college students, together with a brand new pupil middle to offer tutorial companies and helps; and construct a brand new Brooklyn Institute for Well being Fairness to do action-oriented analysis on well being disparities.”
As well as, SUNY mentioned Downstate’s present inpatient companies will likely be supplied by Downstate employees at different services in collaboration with different Brooklyn hospitals, together with by way of a SUNY Downstate “wing” at Kings County.
SUNY mentioned the dates for the workshop classes and surveys will likely be launched shortly.
To study extra in regards to the plan growth and visioning course of, join updates at DownstateTransformed.org.
