REMARKS
Council Member Rivera's remarks on hospital closures and healthcare access
1:24:53
·
88 sec
Council Member Rivera expresses concern about the impact of hospital closures on healthcare access and emergency services, particularly in light of the information provided about healthcare needs and pandemic lessons.
- Rivera highlights the contradiction between having response readiness programs in hospitals that might close and the increasing healthcare needs in various areas.
- She mentions the importance of expanding healthcare access to address issues like cardiovascular needs, cancer screenings, maternal care, and COVID-related illnesses.
- Rivera notes that ER visits are up across the board, which is concerning given the closure of an emergency department in her district.
- The discussion reveals that Elmhurst hospital's brick-and-mortar urgent care facility closed during the COVID pandemic and has not reopened.
Carlina Rivera
1:24:53
thank you for that because this is really you're going to hear from so many advocates in this room and other health professionals and your colleagues and other institutions here.
1:25:03
I mean, having a response readiness, hospital readiness program inside of of a hospital that could potentially close.
1:25:10
And then having hospital closures while we're looking at cardiovascular needs and cancer screenings and eternal care, COVID related illnesses, gun violence, overdose.
1:25:22
I mean, these are all I feel very, very important issues that we have to work on in terms of expanding access to health care.
1:25:31
And I'm very thankful to then hospitals are very thankful to to New York Presbyterian Downtown, who's who has delivered excellent care to my constituents as well.
1:25:41
You've said that ER visits are up across the board.
1:25:45
And that that's very, very scary for us in my district knowing that an emergency room and department is closing.
1:25:54
I know you don't have a standalone emergency room.
1:25:57
I know you don't even have urgent HARS.
1:25:59
I THOUGHT YOU HAD 1 AT Elmhurst, BUT DID IT CLOSED?
Laura Iavicoli
1:26:03
WE HAD A BRICK AND MORTOR PRIOR TO THE COVID PANDEMIC NEEDED THE SPACE DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC So Right.
1:26:12
Went virtual.
1:26:13
And since then, it has been, you know, patient care space for, you know, hospital for the hospital.
