Assemblywoman Buttenschon Attends Public Hearing on COVID-19’s Impact on Hospitals and Effectiveness of State’s Response
Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) announced that she spoke with community stakeholders and public officials at the state Legislature’s joint public hearing – held earlier today – on the impacts of COVID-19 on New York hospitals and the state’s response.
“While conditions have improved since mid-April, New York State remains one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19 and it’s critical that we understand how and why the virus has been particularly devastating here,” said Buttenschon. “Health care workers statewide put their own health at risk each and every day to serve their patients, and we must make sure state policies and mandates protect and support them. I want to thank all the hearing’s participants for lending their voices to this important discussion.”
Today’s hearing sought input from stakeholders on a variety of topics, including: the availability and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), the adequacy of hospital infrastructure, financial strain on health care facilities, the effectiveness of current hospital policies and steps necessary to protect patients and staff during future public health emergencies. Buttenschon also participated in a hearing earlier this week that focused on the effects of COVID-19, and the state’s response, on upstate residential health care facilities and other long-term care providers.
Buttenschon has been a leading voice in calling for the state to protect New York’s vulnerable residents in nursing homes, which had some of the earliest and deadliest outbreaks of COVID-19. Earlier this year, she called on the governor and state to protect nursing homes from experiencing outbreaks of the virus.[1] She has also pushed to have all stakeholders be part of the discussion on how to improve and effectively respond to COVID-19.[2]