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Chair Mercedes Narcisse opens budget hearing for NYC Health + Hospitals
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4 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, chair of the Committee on Hospitals, opens the hearing on the NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget. She outlines key topics including the new Bridge to Home program, capital investments in healthcare facilities, and concerns about physician staffing.
- The $6 million Bridge to Home program aims to support homeless individuals with severe mental health issues.
- Capital investments include $620 million for correctional health services and $50.5 million for women's health across multiple hospitals.
- Narcisse expresses concern about H+H's ability to maintain adequate physician staffing levels.
Mercedes Narcisse
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Good afternoon, everyone.
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I'm council member Mercedes Narcis, chair of the committee on hospitals.
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Thank you for attending today's hearing on the city's fiscal twenty twenty six preliminary budget.
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The New York City Health and Hospital Corporation's five year operating and capital plans for 2025 to 2029 and the fiscal twenty twenty five preliminary.
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During today's hearing, we will review H and H operating fiscal twenty twenty six budget of 2,280,000,000.00, which represent roughly 2% of the city's budget.
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But first and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who has joined us today and my fellow council member that's here, Mamaretto, thank you, and Book Power on Zoom.
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One major addition in the preliminary plan is a new funding of 6,000,000 added in fiscal twenty twenty six for the Bridge to Home program and a baseline funding of 12,900,000.0 starting in fiscal twenty twenty seven for this new pilot program that aims to support homeless individuals with severe mental health issues.
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I'm encouraged by this investment in mental health support for the New Yorkers who need it the most, and I'm interested to learn about the specifics of the program in this hearing.
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HNA's overall headcount has increased by fourteen ninety three positions since we compared the second quarter of fiscal twenty twenty five to the fourth quarter of fiscal twenty twenty four.
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However, H and
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physician headcount has decreased by six positions over the same period.
Mercedes Narcisse
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The recent Doctors Council negotiations have highlighted the difficult and demanding conditions that H and H physicians worked in.
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I'm concerned about H and H's abilities to maintain a satisfactory physician headcount.
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And I am seeking clarity on the efforts that HNH is taking to improve working conditions for our physicians.
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On one HNH budget component, it is capital budget spending.
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The preliminary capital component I mean, commitment plan includes nearly 620,000,000 in funding for the Bellevue, Hood Hall, and North Central Bronx Correctional Health Services outpost unit.
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This outpost unit will provide much needed health care for inmates at Rikers Island, ensuring that incarcerated people are guaranteed the basic human right of adequate medical care.
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After all, we are New York City.
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We care about everyone.
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I'm interested in learning more about the plan scope of operation of these facilities.
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In addition, the capital commitment plan also include 50,500,000.0 in funding for four key women's health investment across the South Brooklyn, Kings And Woodhall Hospitals.
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These investments include renovations to birthing and labor infrastructure and the integration of different aspects of women health care.
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This investment is an encouraging sign that the city is serious about women's health care, and I'm excited to learn more about each of this investment today.
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I have to give it up to BP Reynoso.
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That's always key on that, and of course my speaker, Adrianne Adam, to make sure women health is taken care of.
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I'd like to thank my committee staff, committee counsel, Rio Oguzaurawa, policy analyst, Joshua Newman financial analyst, Aman Mahad Devan and unit head Florentine Kabore for their work on this hearing.
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I would like also, thank my chief of staff, Saye Joseph, and the rest of my staff that keep it going for me and for their hard work.
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I appreciate them.
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Today we'll be here we'll be hearing testimony from representatives from the administration.
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Of course, doctor Katz.
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I now turn to community council to administer their oath for this panel of administration officials.