Today, Betsy Gotbaum joined Queens Councilmembers and unions on city hall steps to urge Governor Paterson and NYS DOH to keep provide funding to keep two Queens Hospitals open. The closing of the Queens hospitals - Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica & St. John's Queens Hospital in Elmhurst- would leave 2,500 workers without jobs and have a detrimental effect on the health and safety of the community.

Public Advocate Gotbaum said, "St. John's Queens and Mary Immaculate Hospitals are vital to their community and every viable option must be explored before they are closed down. We should not risk putting excessive strain on surrounding hospitals and jeopardizing New Yorkers' health and safety by closing such intensely needed facilities, including a trauma center.

In these underserved communities, the need for these hospitals is too great to withstand the impact of closure. It will have a crippling effect on the entire community. Not only the patients in need of care, but those who work at or  are affiliated with these hospitals, and neighboring businesses that benefit from proximity to them will be seriously affected. We must work together at all levels of government and come up with a creative solution to keep these hospitals up and running."

Read more from Councilmember Tony Avella's Press Release  [pdf].