Blakeman should fill his seats on the NUMC board

The newly constituted Nassau University Medical Center board has a massive challenge ahead — stabilizing and turning around the troubled hospital, while also planning for its future. Its work will be all the more difficult with four empty board seats.

In a disappointing move, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has declined to make his two appointments, saying he doesn't want to "play this charade" and falsely accusing Gov. Kathy Hochul of planning to close the hospital. His decision, to leave his voice and additional voices of Nassau County residents unheard by leaving seats empty, is the real "charade."

Blakeman is forgoing a critical opportunity to participate in the hospital's resurgence. To properly govern, he would choose two capable, professional, apolitical individuals who could contribute key skills and thoughtful perspectives and participate fully in the complex work to come. County taxpayers are on the hook for NUMC's debt and county residents rely on the hospital for care. They elected Blakeman to lead; playing politics with NUMC isn't leadership. He should rethink his decision and choose two accomplished people to give voice to local and county concerns.

The same goes for Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Howard Kopel, who unfortunately does what he is told and also hasn't filled his two spots.

Hopefully, their lack of cooperation won't stop the new board from addressing the hospital's many needs. Since a quorum requires a majority, the board will fully function with only seven of 11 members, starting at their first scheduled meeting Tuesday. In her own appointments, Hochul chose competence, as promised. Her four savvy picks, led by new NUMC Chairman Stuart Rabinowitz, provide a good mix of expertise and knowledge in finance, health care, management and more. The State Senate's recommendation of social worker Lisa Newland, whom Hochul ultimately appointed, is also qualified.

Unfortunately, the choices made by the State Assembly and the county legislature's minority leader, Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, fall short.

Both Democrats — Rory Lancman, the Assembly pick that Hochul officially appoints under the new law, and Jason Abelove, the legislative minority choice — are competent. But they are also overtly and actively political — the antithesis of what the new board needs. Lancman was until this week vice chair of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the county's fiscal watchdog. He's currently an elected member of the Great Neck library board and a former New York City councilman and state assemblyman. His skills and knowledge are eclipsed by his political ties. The same is true for Abelove, an employment attorney and vice chair of the Nassau County Democrats, who ran for Hempstead Town supervisor in 2021 and served on the previous incarnation of the NUMC board.

Democrats long criticized that outgoing board as too partisan. Unfortunately, they made unmistakably partisan picks. Abelove and Lancman must set aside the politics and, along with their board colleagues, make decisions that are best for the hospital, its patients, and the larger community.

It would be good if Blakeman did the same.