Public Employee Press

Panelists call for more hospital funding

The skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs and insufficient funding of the city's public hospital system were at the top of the agenda at the union's 40th Annual Legislative Conference.

"This is where we get down to business," said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido at the Oct. 24 meeting attended by 300 activists.

LaRay Brown, senior vice president at the Health and Hospitals Corp., urged members to demand from their legislators more funding for HHC, especially as health care costs have increased and revenues have stagnated. Medicaid provides 80 percent of the budget for the hospitals, but that is not sufficient, Brown said during her presentation.

Making matters worse are private hospitals like Lennox Hill that do not serve uninsured New Yorkers and receive funds that should go to HHC, which serves 1.2 million needy New Yorkers. The inadequate funding for public hospitals raises questions about social inequities.

"The funds should follow the patients, and they are not going to HHC," said Judy Wessler, former director for the Commission on Public Healthcare Systems.

State Sen. Health Committee Chair Kemp Hannon and Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried discussed the Redesigning the Safety Net bill, which would redefine the meaning of a safety net hospital. "That way we will make sure that HHC will get the funds they deserve," Hannon said. He also announced HHC will have eight new primary care centers within the next two years.

During her presentation Jill Furillo, executive director of the New York State Nurses Association, praised union activists for working together in the fight against privatization of dialysis services at HHC.

Activists met in groups to discuss legislation that DC 37 will support in the State Legislature. Some legislation has already passed the state Senate and Assembly and is awaiting Gov Andrew Cuomo's signature. A bill that would protect Public Health Sanitarians is also waiting for the governor's signature after being pushed through with the support of DC 37. The new bill would elevate an assault of a PHS to a Class D felony.

"This bill sends the message to the public that attacking a PHS is a serious offense," said Local 768 President Fitz Reid, whose local includes 200 PHS workers.

The union also supports the Public Whistleblower Protection Act. This legislation would remove the requirement that public employees must first notify their supervisors of improper activity. This issue was bought to the attention of DC 37 by Local 375.

In addition, the union strongly opposes legislation that would forfeit pensions for public employees convicted of crimes of corruption. "Penalizing employees for public corruption is a sound policy, but forcing employees to forfeit their pensions goes beyond these bounds," said the union's Legislative Director Wanda Williams.

Sen. Charles Schumer paid a visit to the conference and promised the activists he would be fighting for more funding for HHC.

The keynote speaker was Assembly member Michael Blake, who backs a bill that would make drug pricing more transparent. CWA 1180 President Arthur Cheliotes, City Council Health Committee Chair Inez Barron and Kevin Collins of the Doctors Council participated in the conference.

— Alfredo Alvarado