image courtesy of the NY Times
“Who is Advocating for Our Hospitals in Queens While Brooklyn Regroups?”
With the financial distress hospitals are presently facing, whether it’s from mismanagement, servicing large populations of un-insured or Medicaid and Medicare budget cuts; the governor is backing a new model to save Brooklyn hospitals from financial ruins. While Queens still faces a dire outlook in its healthcare crisis, Brooklyn is looking to revamp both their financial as well as medical delivery models.
“If we don’t figure out a way to redesign the system, we are going to have free- fall bankruptcies not only in Brooklyn but all over the state,” said Stephen Berger, chairman for Mr. Cuomo’s Brooklyn Work Group.
The governors Brooklyn Work Group also reflects on past policy which allowed hospitals to fail and now realize loss of hospital beds have led to an unacceptable bed-to-patient population ratio below state and national averages causing financial strains on the remaining hospitals. This dilemma is certainly evident in Queens County as reported by The Wall Street Journal-May 24, 2010 in an article titled “Queens Crunched by Hospital Closures” whereby Queens has the lowest bed-to-patient ratio than any borough in New York City.
“With the closing of several hospitals, decrease in quality care, overcrowded emergency rooms, increase in HIV status, the governor’s new approach would be a welcome relief. We need to consider a different delivery/financial model than we presently have. The present model doesn’t allow the hospitals the financial flexibility to make immediate changes, thereby tying their hands behind their backs. Financial relief and a change in delivery would help increase medical services and bed–to-patient ratio’s in Queens and specifically Southeast Queens,” States Dr Evans, CEO of CWCOA.
Please click link below to review The New York Times Article:
“Seeking a Cure for Troubled Hospitals in Brooklyn”
Please click below to review the article from the Wall Street Journal: