PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Amelia Wagner, Senior Health Policy Analyst at Community Service Society of New York, on Hospital Closures and Health Disparities
2:53:39
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118 sec
Amelia Wagner, representing the Community Service Society of New York, testified about the impact of hospital closures on vulnerable communities in New York City. She highlighted the organization's work in healthcare navigation and emphasized the need for community input in healthcare decisions.
- Over 50 hospitals have closed statewide since 1996, with a third in NYC alone.
- Hospital closures disproportionately affect low-income and racially diverse neighborhoods, reducing access to care and increasing patient mortality.
- CSS urges support for keeping Beth Israel open and calls for the governor to sign the Local Input and Community Healthcare Act.
Amelia Wagner
2:53:39
Hi there.
2:53:39
Hi.
2:53:40
Thank you to the committees on health and hospitals for this opportunity to speak.
2:53:44
I'm here on behalf of the Community Service Society of New York, an organization with a 180 year old history of advocating for more equitable New York, especially for low and moderate income communities.
2:53:55
Thanks to the council support, CSS coordinates the managed care consumer assistance program or McCap, which has helped over 16,000 city residents navigate the complex healthcare system.
2:54:06
We work with 12 community based organizations across all five boroughs, reaching the communities that need it most.
2:54:12
McCap has been especially critical as the healthcare rules and hospital resources have shifted drastically since the start of the pandemic.
2:54:19
We're here today because of the profound impact of hospital closures on New York's most vulnerable communities.
2:54:25
Since 1996, over 50 hospitals have closed statewide with a third of these closures in New York City alone.
2:54:31
National research consistently shows that hospital closures reduce access to care, increase patient mortality, and hurt local economies, especially in low income and racially diverse neighborhoods.
2:54:42
In June 2020, CSS issued a report on how structural in equalities in New York's health care system exacerbated health disparities during the COVID-nineteen pandemic.
2:54:52
In the earliest days of the pandemic, when patients relied on hospital based care, Black New Yorkers had four times the COVID 19 mortality rate compared to white New Yorkers.
2:55:01
The report linked to the location of hospital closures to exacerbated health disparities at the height of the pandemic.
2:55:06
A clear example is Queen's the closure of 4 SafetyNet hospitals left Elmhurst Hospital alone to serve 1 of the nation's COVID 19 hotspots.
2:55:14
To protect New Yorkers, we urged the council to support the resolution to keep up Israel open and lower Manhattan and to call on the governor to sign the local input and community health care act.
2:55:24
This legislation would mandate public input when hospitals or key units close, ensuring that communities play a role in crucial healthcare decisions.
2:55:32
Times of the essence, the governor must sign this bill by the end of the year.
2:55:35
Thank you for your time and consideration.
