....October 1, 12:49 PM
	$30M In Hospital Aid Seen As Good Start Gov. David Paterson came to NYHQ to announce the $30 million in emergency funding. Photo by Ira Cohen By Vladic Ravich Queens healthcare providers were grateful for some $30 million of additional grants split among 12 medical facilities in the borough, but some advocates say the amount is insufficient to tackle the magnitude of the shortage. Southeast Queens in Support of Health Services (SQUISH), a coalition of community-based organizations, called it a “good first step” and commended the State Department of Health for prioritizing primary care services. The group continues to push for more funding for Southeast Queens, which they say is underserved compared with the rest of Queens. Even Gov. David Paterson, who came to the New York Hospital of Queens to announce the grants, acknowledged that the funding does not provide for staffing the additional facilities. He pointed to the looming $3 billion hole in the budget that remains even after the State balanced a $20 billion shortfall earlier this year. Many local politicians were on hand to thank the Governor for what State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) called an “important respite” for the borough’s health care needs. Though hospital officials were eager to thank the governor for the influx of cash, some were more critical. A hospital official with knowledge of the grant process, who wished to remain anonymous, had less kind words for the State: “$30 million spread over two years among 12 institutions? Does that seem to be a meaningful amount of new funding, when many of the hospitals in Queens had their funds cut back by tens of millions of dollars?” He was referring to cuts made by the State to various Medicaid reimbursements, which have trimmed some $162 million between January 2008 and December 2009 from the budgets of hospitals that serve Queens, according to the Healthcare Association of New York State. An Executive Director of one of Queens’ hospitals agreed that the cuts from the State budget exceeded the gains from the grant, even though they affect different parts of the institution’s budget. The grants were limited to capital improvements and the majority of the money, just under $13 million, went to increasing primary and specialty care. Some $8 million went toward propping up the extremely strained emergency rooms, while $5 million was allocated for geriatric care, obstetric services, a new wellness center and four new specialized community-based programs. The remaining $4 million was used for a special needs clinic for veterans, the homeless and those with behavioral issues. The money was issued as part of the HEAL-NY program, in which State funds are spent to improve health care, with a portion of that money reimbursed by the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Members of the SQUISH advocacy group reiterated the need for more funding and encouraged the State to establish an ongoing task force to continue planning out a response to this complex issue – especially in areas facing the greatest shortages. “The Department of Health has demonstrated an initial willingness to improve health care in Southeast Queens,” said Seth Cohen of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. “The State government is still responsible for coordinating a master plan for the future of healthcare delivery in Queens. One appropriate next step would be to form a task force of all stakeholders – including and especially community leaders – around health care concerns in Southeast Queens.” The $30 million comes on the heels of an emergency $15 million grant issued six months ago to help local health facilities cope with the strain of two additional hospital closures. St. John’s Hospital and Mary Immaculate Hospital both closed earlier this year when Caritas Health Care went bankrupt, bring the total number of Queens hospitals closed in the last year to three. Reach Reporter Vladic Ravich at vravich@queenstribune.com or (718) 357-7400, Ext. 121.