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Q&A
HHC's role in managing HERRCs and emergency response capabilities
1:17:05
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158 sec
Council Member Keith Powers inquires about the Health and Hospitals Corporation's role in managing Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCs) and its emergency response capabilities. Both Tricia Taitt and Dr. Vincent Calamia provide their perspectives on this decision.
- Powers questions whether HHC managing HERRCs aligns with its core mission compared to other city agencies
- Taitt emphasizes the importance of aligning with the mayor's office and upholding HHC's mission to provide comprehensive healthcare to all New Yorkers
- Dr. Calamia highlights HHC's ability to respond swiftly to emergencies, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Both nominees suggest that while managing HERRCs may not be part of HHC's core mission, the organization's capacity for quick response made it a suitable choice at the time
Keith Powers
1:17:05
you.
1:17:08
The mayor's task h and h would be running the humanitarian emergency response relief centers, what we call perks.
1:17:15
I'm including the Rosa Hotel Arrival Center, which is in my district.
1:17:18
And contracting to provide food assistance to asylum seekers refugees in recent arrivals.
1:17:24
This is for both of you.
1:17:25
Do you you believe that the mayor's decision of putting change in charge of these functions is more consistent with the corporate's core mission than the missions of other mayor agencies, the Department of Social Services, and you tell why right now?
Tricia Taitt
1:17:39
I mean, 1st of all, as a board member, I think it's our responsibility to align with the messages that comes from the office we report to.
1:17:48
And I think it is important as a board member to continue to uphold the mission, which is to provide comprehensive quality health care to own New Yorkers regardless of ability to pay.
1:18:02
So I would be in support of whatever measures allow for that and to continue to promote and protect as both innovator and advocate the health welfare and safety of the people of of the city of New York.
Dr. Vincent Calamia
1:18:17
Yeah.
1:18:17
And let me just say I think probably the COVID epidemic played a big role, I think, and the ability of health and hospitals to very swiftly move in emergencies, particularly unexpected emergencies that that involve large volume.
1:18:34
And the circumstance with the asylum seekers and the volume the quick volume that occurred, I think it did make a lot of sense because helping hospitals can move very swiftly as it did during COVID in providing these services even though they're not necessarily part of our core mission.
1:18:51
So it included housing, as you said, it included vouchers with food, provision, and housing, and so on.
1:18:58
So these are things that not typically you know, in our core mission.
1:19:02
But I think the ability to do that quickly was really important.
1:19:05
So I think it was a good decision at the time.
1:19:08
It's my sense now that these are things that now that we've reached something, I hope of a steady state, that we could begin looking at other agencies in the city that are more adept at taking care of these and get back to our core mission, which again is providing the health care, which will continue.
1:19:25
For for for these, and all the all all citizens of New York City and and and and and all.
1:19:33
Again, I'll call those for our seeking status here.
1:19:37
So, again, I think that's the direction I certainly feel comfortable with pushing the board in