Levy: Health needs temporary state funds

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has asked Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state health officials for short-term funding to keep distressed hospitals and nursing homes running as they restructure finances.

Budget Director Connie Corso disclosed the request Wednesday in a meeting with 40 local health officials trying to keep their facilities open amid state cuts of 5 percent to 40 percent. Among the hardest hit in Suffolk are the Elsie Owens Health Center at Coram, scheduled to close July 1, and the loss of 8,000 patient visits at the Dolan Family Health Center in Greenlawn

The state cutbacks, county officials say, will mean that other health centers will be overloaded, and hospital emergency rooms will be jammed with visits that cost three or four times more.

"The message to the state is that this is a foolish policy that makes no economic sense and is going to wind up costing more," said Dr. James Tomarken, Suffolk's health commissioner.

The meeting comes on the eve of an appearance by Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy at Dowling College Thursday, where activists are expected to protest the cuts. Levy has also called a summit meeting with the state delegation Friday to press the appeal.

County officials say they can survive the annual loss of $3.2 million in state aid for adult patients with chronic conditions such as asthma and high blood pressure, but the health centers cannot cope with the massive clawback of $15.2 million in health center aid for services delivered as far back as 2008.

Health officials indicated Wednesday that losses already are being felt. The Owens health center stopped booking appointments for new patients this week, and Stony Brook University Hospital officials said letters will go out Friday to 18,000 patients that they will lose services as of July 1.

In addition, Rita Powith, the Owens deputy administrator, said some poor patients who get free prescription drugs from companies are starting to lose access to the drugs because there will be no one to sign the forms every six months attesting to the need. "It's a travesty," she said.Legis. Kate Browning (WFP-Shirley) urged that cuts be more evenly distributed and asked officials for ways to cut and keep health centers open for the time being. She fears that if they close they won't reopen.

Corso said that if the county can get temporary aid, Suffolk's bid to make the Patchogue and Brentwood clinics federal qualified health centers will mean additional federal support. Once those health centers qualify, she added, Suffolk will be eligible to bring other county health centers into the federal program.