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Discussion about past task force on hospital closings

2:36:28

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165 sec

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Council Member Carlina Rivera inquires about a past task force on hospital closings, and Judy Wessler provides information about its history and outcomes.

Wessler shares details about the task force's leadership and timeframe
She mentions a recommendation for $25 million to expand primary care as an outcome of the task force
Wessler also comments on GNYHA's historical approach to safety net hospitals and the importance of community involvement

Judy Wessler

2:36:42

I know it was in Chris Quinn's sponsorship and actually Helen Sears was the chair of that task force.

2:36:55

Again, I'm I'm not the best, but I really had a hard time.

2:36:59

All I found was one article that referred to it.

2:37:04

Which didn't very much help.

2:37:06

But, you know, perhaps the city's archives, city council's archives might have something.

2:37:14

We work very closely with that task force, you know, and what they were looking at and how and what happened.

2:37:22

So and I I believe I think I'm saying this right, that one of the outcomes of that was a recommendation for the city to put in $25,000,000 to expand primary care around.

2:37:41

And the the money was given through H and HHC, H and H to take a look at that, and there was a community task force that came up with what to look for and how to look for it and, you know, and what communities to target.

2:38:06

So there was an there were other outcomes of that, but that was one of the positive outcomes as I remember.

2:38:14

If I may say just one more thing, it was not until just a couple of years ago that Grady New York Hospital Association did anything about safety net hospitals.

2:38:28

They finally, when Lorraine Brown, was the president set up a task force or some kind of committee to look at the safety net hospitals.

2:38:39

And that was very late in the game.

2:38:41

So I'm I'm glad to hear, you know, that they're concerned about this, but I I would be concerned about their unwillingness to support this bill and, you know, the need for the community to be involved.

2:38:58

It's only through the community involvement and with counsel and other elected officials that we've been able to accomplish anything.

2:39:07

So thank you for this question and let's go ahead.

Carlina Rivera

2:36:28

And I just wanna say thank you to the advocates.

2:36:31

I wanted to ask Judy, you mentioned there was a task force in in the past.

2:36:36

Right?

2:36:37

Okay.

2:36:37

If you can if you can even find me, like, the term that was in, I can try to look for the report.

2:39:10

Thank you.

2:39:11

And thank you very much.

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Testimony by Andrea Gordillo, Chairperson of Manhattan Community Board 3, on the Proposed Closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital