9 Hospitals Proposed for Closing (in NY state)

[1aCe3]

This is painful... Hospital shuts down... along with the voluntary FDNY units. I suppose. So hows this going to effect ems? I supposed FDNY will take over those units? (Those in NYC anyways) My job security just took a big hit. :shock:

I'm curious to know what their goals are for this "overhaul."

New York Sun

9 Hospitals Proposed for Closing

By JACOB GERSHMAN

Staff Reporter of the Sun

November 28, 2006

Governor Pataki's commission to overhaul health care in New York is recommending the closure of nine hospitals in the state, according to an industry source. The source said the panel is calling for reducing the number of hospital beds by 4,100, a smaller cut than the hospital industry had feared.

As first reported in The New York Sun, the commission is calling for the closure of five hospitals in the city and is recommending that another hospital in Manhattan eliminate inpatient care. New York State has roughly 230 hospitals and 64,000 hospital beds.

The Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century is releasing its final report today and submitting it to the governor for approval. If the governor and lawmakers don't reject the report in its entirety by December 31, the panel's recommendations become law and are to be implemented in 18 months.

The nine hospitals slated for closure are, in Manhattan, St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital and Cabrini Medical Center; Victory Memorial Hospital in Brooklyn; New York Westchester Square Medical Center in the Bronx; the Parkway Hospital in Queens; Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo; Bellevue Woman's Hospital in the Albany capital region; Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County, and St. Joseph Hospital in Cheektowaga, according to the source.

Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital may lose its inpatient beds.

[Asysin2leads]

FDNY EMSC is going to have to do some major tap dancing to figure this out, particularly in the Manhattan Midtown area. If Cabrini's and St. Vincent's Midtown go down, I believe that knocks something like 2 or 3 BLS and an equal or greater amount of ALS units out of the system. That is a gap of 27 EMT's and a similar number of medics that the department will have to fill. St. Vincent's Downtown isn't really in a position to step up to the plate due to the financial situation of CMC. I think my tours are going to get a lot busier.

[1aCe3]

I wonder how real this is... I mean they've been talkin about places like cabrini closing up shop for a long time and it's always been able to stick around. And it's suprising with St. Clares, they cover the big touristy area. So much for my *dream* getin on 6 vic and 4 willie.. :roll: And I've always wanted to work over at St. Clares. Their salary has always been sweet. Guess I'll have to go out burnin on 6 john :twisted:

The only suggestion I got from one of my preceptors was to either go grab a pair of white pants or hope for the best at the hill.

[Asysin2leads]

The article I read today said that basically short of Pataki intervening, these hospitals are goners. I know a lot of great EMT's and medics that run out of St. Claire's (St. Vincent's Midtown), its going to be really sad to see them go. The way I look at it FDNY is going to have to put some more units in service out of Stations 08 and 04. Cornell I'm sure will fight with Roosevelt to grab up everything north of 42nd Street on the west side. As for the rest, I really don't know what's going to happen, other than the areas that have insured people going to the voluntaries, the Medicaid areas will go to the municipals. The article I read also stated that Medicaid spending accounted for something like 41% of the state budget :shock: Next time someone hands me a medicaid card while talking on a cellphone that is more expensive than mine, I'm going to ask them to refund part of my taxes for the year.

[FormerEMSLT297]

I don't know if it has changed since I worked in NYC, but......St Clares of old (St. Vincents of midtown) always was a dog and cat hospital... i wouldn't want to go there.... Cabrini,,, same thing.... Parkway also not the best care.....

Cant speak to the upstate hospitals...... Still it sucks when hospitals close,, the Medics of 13William and BLS 13 Charlie.... and the Cabrini medics 12William (i think) were always top notch and great to work with...

Cant say the same about the ER staff though ..

IMHO... These thoughts are my own and do not represent my agency or department.

[Dustdevil]

Wait... the governor can close private hospitals with the stroke of a pen, yet they can't even close down porn shops in Times Square?

What a farked up state. :roll:

[Asysin2leads]

Dust, you need to get out more. The porno shops were replaced by Disney outlet stores a long time ago. I'm not sure which is worse.

[BushyFromOz]

thats funny

[Dustdevil]

LOL!

I heard a news story a few weeks ago about some mom who rented a Disney movie, put it in the player for her three young daughters (between like 2 and 6), then left the room. She returned about fifteen minutes later to find all three girls totally engrossed in watching hardcore lesbian porn, lmao!

You only THINK they closed down the porno shoppes!

[Ten points to anybody who can find a link to that story online. I struck out on Google]

[BushyFromOz]

I remember this! it made the papers here!