Law Would Exempt DeGraff From Hospital Closures

[steven]

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - A New York State Assemblyman has introduced a bill that would exempt North Tonawanda's Degraff Memorial Hospital from the lengthy statewide list of proposed hospital closures, even though the legislature has failed to reject the commision report that could have stalled the closure process.
Assy Robin Schimminger (D-Tonawanda) tells WBEN that he hopes a flurry of similar bills from across the state will encourage the new state halth commissioner to be flexible when implementing the closures mandated in the Berger Commission report on Hospitals.
"The reccomendations made by the commsion have the force of law, but a law can subsequently esempt some of those reccomendations," Schimminger says.
Nine hospitals and seven nursing homes would be closed, and dozens more were targeted for mergers and downsizing by the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century. The effort locally includes:

Merging Erie County Medical Center with the Kaleida Health Systems Corp.
Closing Catholic Health System's St. Josephs Hospital in Cheektowaga
Closing Kaleida's Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital To hear more on Schimminger's proposal, click the audio link for a report from WBEN's Tom Puckett.


WBEN's Tom Puckett
Exclusive WBEN Windows Media Audio

[speaker]

Hope it happens, and for St Joseph's, too.

I don't use either, but nice little hospitals with big upgrades.

[Surfing USA]

Hope it happens, and for St Joseph's, too.

I don't use either, but nice little hospitals with big upgrades.

As far as DeGraff Memorial & St. Joseph's are concerned, I fail to understand why either would be on the list of closures in the first place. By closing these hospitals there would be considerably more fatalities. It's not uncommon knowledge that there are several injuries and/or conditions where time is of the utmost importance.

According to MapQuest Kenmore Mercy is 4.89 miles, or ten minutes from DeGraff Memorial, and ECMC is 3.9 miles , or 7 minutes from St. Joseph's. If they had to decide between one, or the other, and the well being of WNY residents was the decision maker, it would be more logical to close St. Joseph's. My reasoning is not based solely on time and distance. ECMC, a state of the art hospital is a much better alternative than Kenmore Mercy. Not to mention, I've personally been butchered twice at "Sloppy Joe's," and only once at Kenmore Mercy. However, you know damn well it's not the residents they're concerned about. It's all about the all-mighty-dollar! So, if they were forced to choose one, or the other, They would most likely close DeGraff because in the past few years St. Joe's spent several hundred millions on an expansion project and updating their ER.

My vote is for neither to close, but reality says at least one will.

[concernedwnyer]

Hope it happens, and for St Joseph's, too.

I don't use either, but nice little hospitals with big upgrades.

Realistically if the bed occupancy is not there it makes no sense keeping these things open. Population in this area is going down not up..........
People compalin they want lower taxes and savings then when something is finally done to get a handle on cost these same people bitch and moan they want the services..........

Grow a brain and realize you cannot have both. Geepers creepers......
For awhile there I was St Josephs' best customer..... If I need to go then just gotten step on the gas harder and make up the time difference... to the next hospital.

Now tell me do you miss the libraries that closed??????

[Surfing USA]

Realistically if the bed occupancy is not there it makes no sense keeping these things open. Population in this area is going down not up..........
People compalin they want lower taxes and savings then when something is finally done to get a handle on cost these same people bitch and moan they want the services..........

Grow a brain and realize you cannot have both. Geepers creepers......
For awhile there I was St Josephs' best customer..... If I need to go then just gotten step on the gas harder and make up the time difference... to the next hospital.

Now tell me do you miss the libraries that closed??????

You don't honestly think hospital closures would actually lower taxes in WNY, do you? Downstate maybe....WNY? Hell no!

When I was eighteen-years-old I lived on my own and couldn't afford insurance. I cut my hand open so bad, it resembled 'Old Faithful.' I went to Sloppy Joe's and they refused to sew me up for my lack of insurance. In protest, I sat down in the ER waiting room and let the geyser spray. They asked me to leave several times but I refused. After several people complained, they finally agreed to stitch me up. Since then, a law was passed where hospitals may not refuse uninsured people in emergency situations.

[therising]

If this law was proposed and passed anywhere else we would call it Pork.

When it happens here, I guess it's not Pork.

[buffy]

If this law was proposed and passed anywhere else we would call it Pork.

When it happens here, I guess it's not Pork.

Why doesn't Shimminger champion a bill that isn't already a done deal? What a waste of time and energy.

[Northshore]

As far as DeGraff Memorial & St. Joseph's are concerned, I fail to understand why either would be on the list of closures in the first place. By closing these hospitals there would be considerably more fatalities. It's not uncommon knowledge that there are several injuries and/or conditions where time is of the utmost importance.

According to MapQuest Kenmore Mercy is 4.89 miles, or ten minutes from DeGraff Memorial, and ECMC is 3.9 miles , or 7 minutes from St. Joseph's. If they had to decide between one, or the other, and the well being of WNY residents was the decision maker, it would be more logical to close St. Joseph's. My reasoning is not based solely on time and distance. ECMC, a state of the art hospital is a much better alternative than Kenmore Mercy. Not to mention, I've personally been butchered twice at "Sloppy Joe's," and only once at Kenmore Mercy. However, you know damn well it's not the residents they're concerned about. It's all about the all-mighty-dollar! So, if they were forced to choose one, or the other, They would most likely close DeGraff because in the past few years St. Joe's spent several hundred millions on an expansion project and updating their ER.

My vote is for neither to close, but reality says at least one will.

You would get better care with the ambulance crew on the way to an appropriate hospital. The DeGraffs of the world are a dying breed for a reason, they don't do a lot and they don't do it well.

DeGraff went off the rails in my book when they defended that horses ass Dr Turecki right up until they tossed his butt in Federal prison.

[speaker]

You would get better care with the ambulance crew on the way to an appropriate hospital. The DeGraffs of the world are a dying breed for a reason, they don't do a lot and they don't do it well.

DeGraff went off the rails in my book when they defended that horses ass Dr Turecki right up until they tossed his butt in Federal prison.

What happened with Dr Turkey--OH --Turecki?

Isn't Degraff more of a rehab hospital, now?

[Surfing USA]

You would get better care with the ambulance crew on the way to an appropriate hospital. The DeGraffs of the world are a dying breed for a reason, they don't do a lot and they don't do it well.

DeGraff went off the rails in my book when they defended that horses ass Dr Turecki right up until they tossed his butt in Federal prison.

I was going there for pain management awhile back and the doctor that was treating me insisted on giving me epidural injections in the spine. I told her that I've had several injections in the past but never benefited from them whatsoever, yet she insisted she had "a better way of doing it" and assured me that I'd be happy with the results. She administered two separate injections and neither helped to relieve my pain, just as the others didn't. When she insisted on a third injection is when this lab monkey went elsewhere. Not to mention, she had me so cranked-up on opiates, I could barely maintain my balance.