PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jose Antonio Gonzales, Union Member from 1199 SEIU on Hospital Closures and Healthcare System Challenges
2:47:29
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3 min
Jose Antonio Gonzales, a long-time employee of Mount Sinai Beth Israel and member of 1199 SEIU, testifies about the importance of hospitals in communities and the challenges facing the healthcare system. He shares personal experiences with hospital closures in his area and emphasizes the vital role hospitals play in providing care and supporting local economies.
- Gonzales highlights the closure of several hospitals in his community, including the impending closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel.
- He stresses the importance of hospitals as safety nets, job creators, and centers for career training.
- Gonzales calls for initiatives to keep hospitals open, retain workers, and increase resources for care, as well as fully funding New York's Medicaid program to support safety net hospitals.
Jose Antonio Gonzales
2:47:29
Good afternoon.
2:47:31
Members of the city council, thank you for the opportunity.
2:47:34
To speak here today about this important issue, I'm here with some of my colleagues from Mount Sinai Beth Israel, My name is Jose Antonio Gonzales.
2:47:43
I'm a member of 1199 SCIU and having an employee at the hospital, Beth Israel, for over 35 years.
2:47:51
Currently, I work in the corporate office but I've held many titles and and different hats throughout the years, including during the COVID 19 pandemic when I was deployed to the front lines, working in materials management, ensuring that we were addressing the needs of the community, beth Israel serves, and providing the necessary care that carried us through this strenuous time.
2:48:14
I'm not only here testifying as a member of 1199 SCIU or as an employee, but also as a member in the district and in the community that the hospital has served.
2:48:26
I was born and raised in Chelsea, Saint Vincent, that's gone.
2:48:31
I visited Cabrini Hospital that's gone.
2:48:34
And now Mount Sinai Beth Israel, that will soon be gone.
2:48:39
My in laws weren't there.
2:48:41
It was a family hospital.
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Both my daughters were born there.
2:48:45
My father sadly died there in the hospice room.
2:48:50
Hospitals are the cornerstone of our communities.
2:48:53
Hospitals complement and amplify the efforts of other parts of the health system The hospitals in this city provide continuous availability of services from maternal, emergency, and complex health conditions.
2:49:06
Our safety nets often function as some people's main form of primary care.
2:49:12
Beyond providing direct care, Hospitals also are a significant player in the local economics and a key center for job creation and career training.
2:49:22
Hospital staff turnover has reached record highs, resulting in a national shortage of healthcare workers.
2:49:29
At the same time, illnesses and chronic disease have continued, including the aging of many population, the aging population that's growing for the demand for care.
2:49:41
The possibility of a closure from Mount Sinai, but Israel has been up in the air for many years, a sad reality for many hospitals.
2:49:49
Prior to the COVID pandemic, financial pressures on many hospitals and healthcare facilities require them to downsize merge or close.
2:49:59
But following the aftermath of the pandemic, even more facilities have been unable to sustain themselves.
2:50:05
Hospitals matter to the community, often marking central points in our lives, They're also a fundamental part of our health systems as an instrument for care coordination and delivery.
2:50:17
We need to take time to explore initiatives that will effectively keep hospitals open, retain workers, and increased resources for providing care.
2:50:29
Thank you so much.
2:50:30
We also must also fully fund New York's Medicaid program to stabilize safety net hospitals and reduce health care disparities in our communities.
2:50:40
Thank you once again.
