Public Advocate's Corner

PA Gotbaum: City Must Retain Dental Aid For Needy Children

Last week, the Queens Chronicle published an opinion piece by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, which argues against the closing of the city's Oral Health Program (OHP) and highlights her office's report, 'Touching A Nerve: How Closing the City's Oral Health Program Reduces Access to Dental Care for New York City Children'. Gotbaum writes: 

For over a hundred years, some of New York City’s neediest children have received dental care in school- and community-based clinics through the city’s Oral Health Program (OHP). But funding for OHP has been cut during the past several years, and the OHP clinics were officially targeted for elimination in Michael Bloomberg’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2010.

The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) argues that the closings are necessary because city agencies must trim their budgets, also claiming that the OHP clinics are inefficient and duplicate services that are available elsewhere.

The reality? There are actually few alternatives available for the families that benefit from OHP; low productivity is due to DOHMH policies rather than program administration; and cost savings are in fact achievable that will help keep the program alive.

Read Full Op-Ed

Queens Emergency Rooms in Crisis

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, "The healthcare crisis in Queens has gone from bad to worse. It was troubling enough that the closing of two intensely needed hospitals could not be prevented. In January I called on the city to explore every viable option before deciding to shut down St. John’s Queens and Mary Immaculate Hospitals, a decision which could put excessive strain on surrounding hospitals and jeopardize the health and safety of New Yorkers.

Unfortunately, the outbreak of the H1N1 virus not only demonstrates the lack of sufficient emergency care capacity in Queens and around the city, but it has elevated the severity of the hospital crisis. I want to thank Comptroller Thompson for drawing attention to this important issue and I echo his call for immediate action to ensure that the city can provide New Yorkers with quality emergency care."

Queens Hospital Feels the Effect of Recent Closings

Last month, in a devastating blow to Queens residents and hospital workers, two historic hospitals –
St. John’s Queens Hospital in Elmhurst, and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica – closed due to bankruptcy. 

In January, Public Advocate Gotbaum, along with Queens Councilmembers and residents, had called upon Governor Paterson and the State Department of Health to rescue the hospitals. Gotbaum warned that the closings would place a much greater burden on surrounding hospitals.

Yesterday, the Daily News reported that Mt. Sinai Hospital of Queens is already feeling the effects of these closings. A hospital spokesman said that Mt. Sinai “has experienced nearly a 10% increase in discharges in the month of March.” It is essential that the DOH continue to keep a close watch on Mt. Sinai, and other Queens hospitals, in order to ensure that they are properly funded in the wake of the St. John’s and Mary Immaculate closings.

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Gotbaum Promotes Bengali Guide to Public Benefits

Today, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum visited the Chhaya Community Development Corporation in Jackson Heights to release her Guide to Public Benefits for Immigrants in New York City in Bengali.

The free guide provides valuable information on federal, state and city benefits and is the first of its kind to specifically examine immigration status as part of benefit eligibility. The Public Advocate first released the guide in November 2008 in six languages, including English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Bengali.

She was joined by Seema Agnana, Chhaya CDC's Executive Director, and Council Member Eric Gioia.

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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].

Willets Point Vote

Yesterday, the City Council voted on the development plan for Willets Point. It's no secret that I've had some serious reservations about this plan since it was introduced.

I have voiced my concerns that the needs of local business owners in the Willets Point must be addressed. For months, I’ve been advocating that the city sit down with local business owners and workout a situation that meets everyone’s needs. And it appears – for the majority of businesses – that this may have happened.  This is welcome news. 

Many of these business owners have invested considerable amounts time and money improve their community, and many have supplied needed services to New Yorkers for generations.  I hope this current plan takes that into account, for we all want an ideal future for Willets Point. I think we can all agree that the best way to move forward is to make sure that all parties - the city, the community, and local business owners - have an equal say in the development plan.