Q&A
Discussion on capital needs and equipment funding for public hospitals
0:26:12
·
3 min
Council Member Salamanca raises concerns about the physical conditions and equipment needs of public hospitals, specifically mentioning Lincoln Hospital. He asks the nominees how they would work with the council to identify needs and advocate for fair funding distribution at the board level.
- Vanessa Rodriguez suggests meeting with hospital presidents to understand needs and current funding allocation.
- Dr. Michael Espiritu emphasizes the importance of data metrics to optimize investments for patient benefit.
- The discussion highlights the need for better communication between board members and council members regarding hospital needs.
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
0:26:12
One of the one of the concerns that I have as an elected official of my time here in the council.
0:26:19
And I know that many of my colleagues are customer of Fadia, customer of Ayala.
0:26:23
We we share well, Ayala and I, we share Lincoln Hospital.
0:26:27
Constant movements of ideas.
0:26:29
I imagine a lot of your constituents go to Lincoln Hospital too.
0:26:31
Right?
0:26:32
And so what we've seen is the the conditions at times of which the hospital may be in.
0:26:39
Physically, it's very clean, but it's an older facility.
0:26:42
And I've I've seen in the time that I've been in the council, I've given about, I would say, little under $15,000,000 to Lincoln Hospital to address their capital needs, whether it's their mammography, equipment, their X-ray equipment.
0:26:58
And so and and and we at times, as council members, we wonder, well, why is an HHC paying for these pieces of equipment?
0:27:07
And there is a And I know that, you know, the the funding may not always be available.
0:27:13
So as a as a board member, right, for your detective bureau, how would you work with us on a council to to number 1, help us identify the needs even though each hospital has its own president.
0:27:25
I imagine you'll be working with them.
0:27:28
But also, how would you advocate at a board level to ensure that your bureau is actually getting its fair share of dollars when when you are reviewing your financial statement and going over to budget?
Vanessa Rodriguez
0:27:42
So thank you, Council member, for that question.
0:27:46
So I would first meet with the president of the hospital's to understand what their needs are, understand the current funding that was provided to them, and to and to see exactly to hear exactly where the funding that was given to them went to, and then give the specifics, and then bring it back to my board members to kinda get an idea of what would be the next steps before we could, you know, if more funding is needed, or, you know, where things were allocated on and to bring that back to US Council member.
0:28:27
That's what I would do.
Michael Espiritu
0:28:30
You know, in addition that I think it'd be important to look at what data metrics potentially come from the hospitals in the system, seeing what kind of improvements in quality or efficiency we getting from making a certain investment or buying this sort of equipment versus another equipment or making a different improvement?
0:28:52
You know, looking at the data there, seeing what is really gonna optimize the benefit for the patients in that community that served at that hospital, you know, is getting a brand new machine going to, say, provide a better benefit if you get this machine or this machine or or, say, default funds to improving maybe an emergency room bay.
0:29:19
So I, you know, I think I'd look at the the the data metrics and also engage with the community, see what they're expectations are or they feel their their needs are that may not be being met.
Keith Powers
0:29:32
Yeah.
0:29:32
You
Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
0:29:32
know what, I'm I'm those are the right answers, but but what I what I am looking for once you assume this position if you get approved is what we didn't have, and I don't know if my colleagues had this.
