REPORT: October/November 2006

Nurses, communities brace for hospital closing report

by Nancy Webber

Will your hospital or nursing home exist three years from now?

To a large degree, the answer to that question is in the hands of the “hospital closing commission” formed by outgoing Gov. George Pataki and the State Legislature.

The commission (often called the “Berger Commission” after its chairman, Stephen Berger) is required to report to the State Legislature by Dec. 1 on which hospitals and nursing homes should be closed or downsized.

The impact on healthcare facilities and their surrounding communities could be huge.

The legislature and governor must accept or reject the commission’s report in its entirety before the end of the year. This would make a new governor, and potentially a new legislature, responsible for carrying out the recommendations. Probable winner Eliot Spitzer has already stated that some hospital closings will be necessary.

“The Berger Commission has made no provisions for what healthcare facilities – if any – will replace hospitals slated for closure,” said Carol Pittman, Community Affairs Representative for the NYSNA Economic & General Welfare Program. “Their interest is in cost-cutting, not health care. The Save Our Safety Net Campaign is calling for public hearings after the recommendations are released, to once again allow community members to speak out about their real healthcare needs.”

The next meeting of the Berger Commission is scheduled for Nov. 20.