Suffolk lawmakers decry health center cuts

Lawmakers lashed out Tuesday at cuts to Suffolk health centers by County Executive Steve Levy, saying the $13 million in reductions would unfairly target a few facilities -- especially the Elsie Owens Health Center in Coram, which would be forced to close.

Legislators called for the health commissioner and Levy aides to appear at tomorrow's health committee meeting to defend the cuts. Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville), the budget committee chairman, also raised the specter of a new court battle to block Levy's reductions.

Meanwhile, Coram health center backers have scheduled a rally for 10 a.m. Thursday to protest the cutbacks, scheduled to take effect July 1.

"The real problem is that we are going to have a lot of people going to emergency rooms . . . which is going to cost the state four times more," said Legis. Kate M. Browning (WF-Shirley).

Levy imposed cuts of 40 percent on the Dolan Family Health Center in Greenlawn, run by Huntington Hospital and the Coram health center, run by Stony Brook University Hospital. The cuts would amount to funding losses of $1.1 million for Dolan and $2.3 million for Coram, which university officials say would force them to close the center.

The six other centers will take a 6 percent cut. The county made the cuts in reaction to a $20 million "clawback" of state aid already paid since 2008 for the health centers, the medical examiner and emergency training.

Lawmakers criticized Levy and his health aides for imposing the mid-year cuts without consulting or informing the legislators. They are also upset he is imposing deeper cuts on some health centers than others.

"I didn't realize that health administrators have the power to amend the budget," said Legis. Edward P. Romaine (R-Center Moriches).

Levy says his office has the power to impose cuts, and that lawmakers rebuffed his proposal for a joint committee to deal with the issue.

Levy also said he had to disclose the cuts now so the health centers can prepare to scale down operations by July 1.

"The clock is ticking and it's totally irresponsible," Levy said.

Levy said Dolan was chosen for larger cuts because it has an endowment, and because that when it opened it was only supposed to get several years of start-up money. Coram was picked after negotiations over a proposal for it to operate under the university hospital license -- which could have made it eligible for more aid -- fell apart.

Legis. Louis D'Amaro (D-North Babylon), usually a close Levy ally, also criticized the health center cuts. "A sense of fairness is lacking here," D'Amaro said. "I see no sense in this decision at all." He had filed a bill to restore $300,000 to Dolan, and agreed to amend it to provide money for Coram as well.