Suffolk Legislature pushes for new pact with health care nonprofit

Suffolk legislators voted Tuesday to require county officials to enter into a new contract with a nonprofit that runs eight county health centers as supporters said they feared clinics would close without an agreement.

The measure requires the county attorney to enter into a contract with Hudson River Healthcare and send it to the legislature for ratification.

HRH officials have said they finalized a contract with County Executive Steve Bellone late last year, but it has not been signed.

The new five-year contract would cut the county’s annual share of costs from $13.7 million to $12 million through 2024, officials have said. It would include all eight health centers, while the previous contracts were individual agreements with each center. 

Without a new contract, HRH officials said they would have to issue closure notices for two health care centers, in Southampton and Coram, starting July 1. Contracts for those centers have expired, and contracts for others are set to expire later this year.

“Potentially 80,000 patients’ health care … [is] in jeopardy, and certainly we should do all we can to prevent that from happening,” said Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Copiague), the bill’s sponsor.

Officials from the county executive’s office have said they are still finalizing the contract and are meeting with HRH officials later this week. They said they expect a contract by the end of the summer.

“As we have repeatedly advised the legislature, the bill introduced by the presiding officer is ill-conceived and can have no practical effect,” county executive spokesman Jason Elan said. “We’re working with HRH towards a resolution.”

HRH said officials hope to resolve issues during the meeting with county executive officials this week.

“The Suffolk County Board of Legislators’ action tonight was a positive step forward in bringing critical funding to over 80,000 residents of Suffolk County, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured," HRH said in a statement. "Hudson River Healthcare will continue to do all it can to bring a positive resolution to this matter and ensure that all health services are delivered to our patients and families.”

HRH said last month it has fronted about $5 million to cover county contributions for the Southampton center for two years and for the Coram clinic since January.

HRH had about $22 million more revenue than expenses in 2017, according to the most recent tax filings available.

“This issue is not about a contract. It’s about care,” Dr. Reo Peniston, a physician at the Riverhead clinic, told legislators. “Every day that passes without vital county resources jeopardizes our ability to serve our patients.”

Several legislators expressed concern that they had not yet seen the contract, especially given the county’s debt. Eight legislators voted to table the measure. 

Legislators on Tuesday, after a heated debate, also tabled a proposal that would have prohibited employers from asking about criminal convictions on job applications.

The “ban the box” proposal would eliminate a common checkbox on job applications about criminal convictions and prevent employers from asking about convictions until after extending a conditional job offer.

Gregory and Legis. Samuel Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), the bill’s co-sponsors, said the measure would give ex-convicts a second chance.

Several legislators said that while they support the intent of the measure, they would want to amend it out of concerns about the impact on employers and the timeline of learning about convictions.

Legislators also voted to create a women veterans advisory board and to approve a $225 million budget for Suffolk County Community College for 2019-2020.

By Rachelle Blidner

rachelle.blidner@newsday.com@rachelleblidner

Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.