Magnarelli to Lead Panel Discussion Regarding Health Care Funding
Governor refuses to release funding for local Nursing Homes and Hospitals
May 17, 2006
Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) announced that he will lead a panel of local health care experts and stakeholders tomorrow, at a nursing home forum, to take statements and discuss the governor’s refusal to release health care funding to local facilities.
“The last month, Legislature voted in a bi-partisan matter to over-ride the governor’s vetoes in an effort to protect the health of New York’s most vulnerable populations – the elderly, sick and disabled – by restoring funding to critical nursing homes and hospitals,” stated Magnarelli. “The governor has now taken it upon himself to refuse releasing the funds to due to nursing homes and hospitals throughout the state.”
To be discussed at the forum will be the devastating consequences that the withholding of these funds will have, on not just nursing homes, but various healthcare facilities throughout Central New York. Effects could range from loss of services, termination of positions to possible closure of facilities.
The forum will be held at:
Nursing Home Forum
Thursday, May 18th
9:30 am – 11:30 am
Loretto Syracuse – Cunningham Building Boardroom
Syracuse, New York
The panel will consist of Terry Gorman, Administrator of St. Luke Health and Rehabilitation Services, Oswego, NY; Marshall Blake, Executive Vice President of 1199 SEIU, Healthcare Workers East; Joyce Warriner, Administrator for Rosewood Heights Nursing Homes, Syracuse; Jim Introne, CEO Loretto; Theresa Goff, C.N.A.; and other stakeholders in the health care field. Various health care workers, executives, and those affected by the withholding of these funds will be addressing the panel.
“The Legislature took positive steps to lend a helping hand to those who care for us when we’re ill or injured. We fought to restore the governor’s cuts to Onondaga County’s hospitals and nursing homes. The Legislature rejected the governor’s ill-conceived cut of $5.4 million to Hospitals in Onondaga County – by fully restoring those funds,” Magnarelli stated. “We then voted to override his health care vetoes that would mean an additional $16.1 million for nursing homes in the Syracuse area. Making sure that the ailing Van Duyn Home and Hospital and all of these facilities received additional funding was very important this year. The release of the funds to these facilities will assist not only these homes and hospital, but our loved ones who count on their services, on a daily basis.”
“The Legislature’s constitutional amendments to the budget represent the priorities of elected representatives from both sides of the aisle in the Assembly and Senate – representatives from across the state who are attuned to the values and needs of people in their communities,” Magnarelli said. “Since the governor will not listen to the Legislature and release this much needed funding, maybe he will listen to those he is hurting the most.”
