Q&A
Initial inquiry about the closing of Downstate Hospital
1:48:12
·
42 sec
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse inquires about the planned closure of Downstate Hospital. State Senator Zellnor Myrie explains that they were informed about the closure during the week of Martin Luther King Day in January, as part of a 'transformation plan' included in the governor's executive budget.
- The closure plan was presented suddenly, giving limited time for response
- The closure was framed as a 'transformation plan' by the state
- Officials had from January until the end of the budget process to formulate a response
Mercedes Narcisse
1:48:12
Thank you.
1:48:15
Senators, Assembly.
1:48:16
Assembly.
1:48:18
So what phase you were aware that the down state, they were planning to close down state?
Zellnor Myrie
1:48:26
We were told that Downstate was closing the week of Martin Luther King Day in January.
1:48:35
We were presented the plan as a so called transformation plan The state communicated to us that this was a plan that would go in the governor's executive budget.
1:48:46
And so we were given that amount of time from January until the budget concluded to figure out what the response to that plan would be.
