Suffolk legislators OK health center cuts

Facing a $20-million loss in state aid, Suffolk legislators voted last night to spread the pain countywide instead of just defunding the Dolan Family Health Center in Greenlawn and closing the Coram health center, run by Stony Brook University Hospital.

However, Deputy County Executive Ken Crannel said the decision means cutting all six county health centers' funding about 20 percent.

County Executive Steve Levy's proposal for dealing with the state cuts would have slashed funding for Dolan and Coram by 40 percent, but kept cuts at the others to about 6 percent each.

Lawmakers and Levy are still negotiating with the state about the amount of the cut. The legislative proposal approved last night would spread the cuts evenly among the centers should the county be successful in reducing the state cut.

But presiding officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) noted that if the state cuts were not scaled back, the loss of funds would devastate all the health centers. He said the legislature may have to rethink its approach if spreading the cuts equally would destroy the entire public health care system.

Still, county Health Commissioner James Tomarken said that the deep cuts throughout the county may be preferable to closing facilities. "They may never be reopened again."

But Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-East Setauket) said, "We are all taking the risk together."

Levy, though, was more contentious after legislators restored $56 million of the $85 million the executive had proposed cutting out of the county's capital budget.

"The legislature talked a good game about wanting to cut county debt," Levy said.

After Levy proposed the lowest Suffolk capital budget since 2001, lawmakers increased the 2012 capital budget from the $107.3 million Levy proposed to $163.8 million, and the county's three-year capital plan from Levy's proposed $298 million to $418 million.

Levy vetoed almost all the increases. Last night, lawmakers overrode the vetoes unanimously.

Levy also criticized the legislators' decision to keep funding through Medicaid reimbursements the John J. Foley Nursing Facility in Yaphank for the rest of the year.

-- With Rick Brand