Q&A
State health department's role in planning for hospital closures
0:47:00
·
115 sec
Dr. Michelle Morse explains the state health department's responsibility in planning for hospital closures and mitigating their impacts. Council Member Narcisse expresses concerns about the need for early planning and coordination between state and city health departments.
- State health department is responsible for closure planning and impact mitigation
- Emphasis on the need for early data sharing and planning between state and city
- New York City Health Department affirms their belief in universal access to healthcare
Dr. Michelle Morse
0:47:00
AS A CLINITION WHO PRACTICES AT KING'S COUNTY HAS spittle and spends time in the emergency room there.
0:47:06
It is one of the busiest emergency rooms in the state.
0:47:09
That is what the state health data tells us, and that data is publicly available.
0:47:15
And I would also say that although we can't predict exactly what the impact would be on Kings County Hospital where soony downstate to close.
0:47:23
As I mentioned, we don't need a study to tell us that the ripple effects would be that people seeking care in a hospital that close will have to see care elsewhere?
0:47:35
The state health department is responsible for doing the planning in partnership with any hospital that closes around where the community that uses that hospital should see care and is responsible for also doing planning to mitigate any impacts on the hospital that uses that hospital, on the community that uses that hospital.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:47:58
So when they're making the plan, the state make the plan.
0:48:01
Right?
0:48:02
But we live in New York City.
0:48:05
Department of Health, I'm assuming, and h and h will wondering what's gonna happen, and they need that those data early so they can plan accordingly because we're talking about human life.
Dr. Michelle Morse
0:48:23
I think we we agree with you that the access to health care is a right.
0:48:28
We in the New York City Health department also believe that everyone should have access regardless of where they're born, where they live, their race ethnicity, or anything else.
0:48:37
So we 100% agree that everyone should have access to care, but it really is up to the state to plan with the institution that is under consideration foreclosure to mitigate any harms or impacts to the community that uses that hospital.
