Public Employee Press

Health Care Crisis
Coalition battles Health Care Commission

Union leaders, elected officials and health care activists demanded that all city hospitals remain open during a packed public hearing of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century.

“We are totally opposed to closing health facilities,” said Local 1549 2nd Vice President Ralph Palladino at the March 7 hearing at Queens Borough Hall. “We also oppose making these life and death decisions on public matters through months of secret meetings.”

Gov. George E. Pataki established the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century last year. The panel’s mission is to help trim costs by recommending hospital closings and cutbacks in Medicaid spending.

The governor proposes eliminating up to one-third of all hospital beds in the state—about 20,000 of the 62,000 hospital beds—to save Medicaid dollars. Hospital consultants have hinted at the possibility of closing Mary Immaculate in Jamaica and Peninsula Hospital Center in Rockaway. Closing Peninsula, the largest employer in Rockaway, would mean the loss of 1,000 jobs.

“Queens residents are already short-changed when it comes to health care,” Local 420 President Carmen Charles said at the hearing. “Ten years ago, 17 hospitals served the nearly 2 million residents of Queens. Today, while the population has grown, we’re down to 13 hospitals and fewer beds.”

Carmen Charles: Raise reimbursement rate
Charles also advised the commission to look into the Medicaid reimbursement rate formula, which has not changed since 1992. “An HHC hospital receives $95 for an emergency room visit from Medicaid, but the actual cost is closer to $400,” she said.

By Dec. 1, the Hospital Closing Commission, as it is known, by many, will make its final recommendations, which will automatically become law and be implemented ­unless the Legislature votes to reject its entire package of proposals.

Save Our Safety Net, the coalition of labor unions and health care activists battling the commission and the possible hospital closings, is supporting Senate Minority Leader David Paterson and 21 other Democratic senators who have introduced Senate Bill 6591. The proposal would make the commission more accountable, change its evaluation process and extend the process to 2007 when a new governor has been elected.

Meanwhile, union leaders and health care activists vow to challenge any hospital closings. “We’ll go to City Hall, to Albany and to Washington D.C.,” warned Charles. “We’ll make our voices heard and demand that every person, regardless of income, age, medical condition and citizenship status, has a right to quality health care.” Local 1549’s Olivia Crum and Local 768’s Albert Willingham also testified.

—Alfredo Alvarado