Senate Passes Lanza’s Bill to Force Hhc to Meet Its Obligation in Providing Adequate Funding for Health Care Services on Staten Island

The New York State Senate has passed legislation, S.2471, sponsored by Senator Andrew Lanza and Assemblyman Michael Cusick, which would require the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation to spend a minimum of ten percent of its budget on acute care and emergency room facilities in each borough.

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Act was adopted in 1969 to deliver care and treatment 

to those physically and mentally ill, and to promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the City of New 

York. HHC currently has at least 20 facilities under its jurisdiction. Staten Island, a borough of nearly 500,000 people

 representing six-percent of the City's population, has not a single NYC HHC hospital to meet the needs of the 

residents. The private facilities on Staten Island simply cannot handle the growing population on Staten Island 

without additional resources. Requiring the City to spend at least ten percent of its budget in each borough would 

help Staten Island expand their emergency rooms and improve the medical care its residents have access to. The bill 

also mandates that the five board of director positions, appointed by the City Council, include a representative from 

each of the five boroughs.

“Staten Island’s two hospitals, Richmond University Medical Center and Staten Island University Hospital, are forced to bear the cost of providing services which HHC should ultimately be paying for,” said Senator Lanza. “The passage of this law would force HHC to meet its responsibility and obligation in providing health care services to the people of Staten Island, thereby reducing the strain on our two hospitals which HHC is complicit in causing.”

“It is known that Staten Island has been shortchanged by HHC in the past when they should be providing quality health care services equitably in all five boroughs,” said Senator Lanza. “This legislation will boost the funding Staten Island receives to record levels, and will provide our borough with long overdue resources to protect the health of our residents.”

“I also want to commend the Staten Island Advance and Staten Island’s elected officials for continuing to shed light on this important issue, and keeping the pressure on HHC to do right by the people of Staten Island.”

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