October 24, 2014 Below is a copy of the letter being sent to acting state health commisioner Dr. Howard Zucker, regarding St. James Hospital.:
October 24,2014
The Honorable Howard Zucker
Acting Commissioner
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12237
Dear Acting Commissioner Zucker,
We write to express ou r united support for the delivery of quality health care for the Hornell area and its su rroundi n g communities. As you consider the most recent proposal concerning the new vision for Hornell’s St. James Mercy Hospital (SJMH) serious concerns have been identified regarding the application. In particular, the need to ensure adequate inpatient and maternity care for Hornell area
citizens must be fully addressed.
We applaud the efforts New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) to improve healthcare across New York State and in particular appreciate your consideration of the challenges of providing adequate healthcare in rural regions. Previous financial support from NYS DOH has been cr i tical in maintaining the SJM H ‘s current operations and you r collaboration with local stakeholders will be needed going forward. A ba l anced approach must be taken so that residents have access to all areas of health care services.
The most recent proposal fails to provide adequate inpatient and maternity care for the region. This is a serious shortcom ing that will literally place lives at risk. Without the inpatient and maternity care in Hornell, the time and distance needed to travel to an appropriate facility will significantly increase. It is critical Hornell be able to provide inpatient and maternity care not only to ensure access to care for the region ‘s demands, but also to maintain quality of life as the community aims to attract new business and grow. Inpatient and maternity care services are a critical component of healthcare services, the failure of which to provide would negatively impact the potential for investments in this area. In addition, as
Hornell employs full time fire and pol ice departments which must be supported by access to inpatient care
while they are in the line of duty.
As the NYS DOH-will be meeting on Monday, October 27 with a ll stakeholders including City of Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan, who we have spoken with extensively on this issue, we feel it is important that you hear our united support for maintaining inpatient and maternity services in Hornell prior to the meeting. We have discussed our support for these services with the officials at SJMH as wel l.
Please know we all stand willing to work with you and all the stakeholders to ensure this significant change in the regions health care services is completed in the most successful way possible. Thank you for your consideration of this matter and for the work ofNYS DOH with SJMH and area stakeholders previousl y and going forward.
Sincerely,
Tom Reed
Member of Congress
Phil Palmesano
Assemblyman
Tom O’Mara
State Senator
Bill Nojay
Assemblyman
CC:
The Honorable Shawn Hogan, Mayor of City of HomeII
The Honorable Andrew Cuomo, Governor ofNew York State
The Honorable Charles Schumer, United States Senator
The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator
The Honorable Courtney Burke, Deputy Secretary for Health
The Honorable Jim Clancy, Assistant Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health
Jennifer Sullivan, President and CEO of St. James Mercy Hospital
Judith M. Persichilli, President of Catholic Health East
Dr. Mark B. Taubman, CEO and Senior Vice President for Health Services at University of Rochester
Medical Center
Amy Pollard, President and CEO of Noyes Memorial Hospital
James L. Cummings, CEO of Oak Orchard Health
Eva Benedict, CEO of Jones Memorial Hospital
