ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL RETARDATION AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING


SUBJECT: Proposed closings of the Richard H. Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse and the Elmira Psychiatric Center

PURPOSE: To determine the impact on patient care

SYRACUSE

Thursday, March 20, 2003
10:30 AM
Onondaga County Legislative Chambers
401 Montgomery Street
Room 407


Governor Pataki has proposed closing the Richard H. Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse and the Elmira Psychiatric Center and relocating patients to the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center in Utica and the Rochester Psychiatric Center respectively. The Committee is seeking information related to the potential impact on the communities affected by the proposed closings.

Please see the reverse side for a list of subjects to which witnesses may direct their testimony, and for a description of the bills which will be discussed at the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

Peter M. Rivera
Member of Assembly
Chairman
Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation
and Developmental Disabilities




SELECTED RECENT PROBLEMS TO WHICH WITNESSES MAY DIRECT THEIR TESTIMONY:

  1. What will be the impact of the proposed closures on patients and their families?
  2. What will be the impact on the employees of Hutchings and Elmira Psychiatric Centers
  3. What will be the impact of the proposed closures on the mental health service systems in the Hutchings and Elmira catchment areas?
  4. What impact will the proposed closures have on the patients, families and staff of the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center and the Rochester Psychiatric Center?
  5. What are the economic impacts on the Syracuse and Elmira communities that will result from the proposed closings?


PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM


Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on March 20, 2003 are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail it to:


Carl R. Letson, Jr.
Legislative Associate
Assembly Committee on Mental Health
Room 522 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
(518) 455-4371


I plan to attend the following public hearing on the proposed closures of the Hutchings and Elmira Psychiatric Centers to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities on March 20, 2003.

I plan to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be limited to 10 minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide 10 copies of my prepared statement.

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:





I do not plan to attend the above hearing.

I would like to be added to the Committee mailing list for notices and reports.

I would like to be removed from the Committee mailing list.

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required:






NAME:

TITLE:

ORGANIZATION:

ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE:

*** Click here for printable form ***


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