Spending bill could cost LI hospitals nearly $19M

With the passage of Gov. David A. Paterson's $775 million emergency spending legislation Monday night, Long Island hospitals stand to lose about $18.8 million. But almost as much as hospital executives lamented the loss of money, they deplored how the cuts were made.

Kevin Dahill, chief executive of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, predicted the reductions would mean a loss of jobs and programs.

"It's going to be the sixth cut in two years," Dahill said. "In some cases, there are going to be layoffs and some program closures or modifications, depending on the institution."

But like other hospital administrators, he was frustrated that health care had been singled out for cuts without a full budget and a thorough discussion of what the cuts would mean. "It's a disgrace," he said.

Chief executive Arthur Gianelli, whose Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow stands to lose more than $2 million, agreed.

"This is not the way to address health care for the State of New York," he said. "This will have all sorts of unintended consequences because folks who have to implement this haven't had any input."

Michael Dowling, chief executive of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, called the legislation "a reflection of the dysfunction in Albany." At the same time, he recognized the need for a major overhaul in state government that would close the budget gap.

Dowling said his health system - which also includes hospitals in New York City - will lose between $15 million to $20 million in state funds with the governor's legislation. He said he also worried there was no guarantee there wouldn't be further health care cuts. "If he can't close the gap, is he [Paterson] going to come back on health care?" he asked.

Dowling said he will have to look at each of the system's 15 hospitals to see where "adjustments can be made without having necessarily to do staff reductions and to limit services."

Dr. Steven Strongwater, chief executive of Stony Brook University Medical Center, said he was concerned the bills made assumptions about federal funding that might not be available to the state. Stony Brook will lose more than $1 million from the legislation, he said. "Language in the extender bill counts on continued federal aid delivered to states via the federal medical assistance percentage, or FMAP," he said.

But, he said, the House of Representatives had removed the aid because of its cost. "That makes receipt of those funds uncertain, if not unlikely, at this time," he said.

The hits LI hospitals would take

The following are estimates of the monetary impact that the governor's proposed health care cuts would have on Long Island hospitals. They do not reflect minor changes legislators made to the proposal Monday night.

Brookhaven: $1,330,642

Eastern LI: $141,783

Franklin: $718,368

Glen Cove: $558,508

Good Samaritan: $1,003,838

Huntington: $528,683

Long Beach: $487,693

Mather: $306,952

Mercy: $798,761

NUMC: $2,018,419

North Shore: $4,254,372

Peconic Bay: $235,147

Plainview: $341,672

St. Catherine: $305,040

St. Charles: $385,117

St. Francis: $414,509

St. Joseph: $317,666

South Nassau: $730,222

Southampton: $223,767

Southside: $1,189,528

Stony Brook: $1,501,631

Winthrop: $1,025,451

TOTAL: $18,817,769

SOURCE:: GREATER NEW YORK HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION