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General News: Letter Regarding Cornwall ER Hours
September 11, 2013
A letter to Dr. Nirav R. Shah Commissioner New York State Department of Health regarding St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital's request made to the New York State Department of Health to reduce the hours of operation at the Cornwall campus’ emergency room.
September 11, 2013
Dr. Nirav R. Shah
Commissioner
New York State Department of Health
Corning Tower
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12237
Dear Commissioner Shah:
In a press release from St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital dated September 9, 2013, it was announced
that a request has been made to the New York State Department of Health to reduce the hours of
operation at the campus’ emergency room. I have deeply serious concerns about this request.
Numbers, as you well know, can be easily manipulated to fit a narrative. The aforementioned press
release is filled with cherry-picked statistics that offer an incomplete view of the hospital’s
performance. For instance, it is mentioned that only 600 patients received Emergency Department
services at the Cornwall campus between 10pm and 10am; two paragraphs later, the press release
states that the Newburgh campus, by comparison, serves more than 60,000 patients per year.
What is not shared is how many patients receive care at the Newburgh campus between 10pm and
10am. Further, many advanced-emergency and critical services are not offered at the Cornwall
campus, thus already directing many patients to Newburgh. How can you compare the number of
visits a) without looking at the same period during the day and b) when the two campuses offer
different emergency room services? It unfortunately seems as though a fair comparison was never
intended.
Last, but certainly not least, nowhere does it state how much money will be saved by this “creative
initiative,” as they put it. I do not consider making an emergency room part-time a creative initiative,
by any means, but just how much will be saved? Or is this request part of a larger move towards
shutting down the Cornwall campus, as many local community members and officials fear (which, in
discussions with the hospital, they refuse to rule out)? Have genuinely creative initiatives actually
been looked at, such as transferring some of the services and burden from the Newburgh campus
to Cornwall’s?
Residents in not only Cornwall, but also Blooming Grove, Highlands, New Windsor, Woodbury, and
elsewhere, would face a considerably longer drive to an emergency room from 10pm to 10am under
this proposal. Given the widespread, negative ramifications of St. Luke’s request, I urge you to
please scrutinize this proposal closely and do everything possible to avert turning Cornwall into a
part-time emergency room. Additionally, I would like to formally request a public hearing, to be held
in Cornwall, on the request by the New York State Department of Health.
Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and important work for the communities I
represent.
Sincerely,
James Skoufis
Member of Assembly
cc: Robert Ross, President of St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
Kevin Quigley, Cornwall Town Supervisor
Brendan Coyne, Cornwall-on-Hudson Village Mayor
Frank Fornario, Blooming Grove Town Supervisor
David Heintz, Washingtonville Village Mayor
Robert Jeroloman, South Blooming Grove Village Mayor
Robert Livsey, Highlands Town Supervisor
Patrick Flynn, Highland Falls Village Mayor
George Green, New Windsor Town Supervisor
John Burke, Woodbury Town Supervisor
Michael Queenan, Woodbury Village Mayor
Stephen Welle, Harriman Village Mayor
Kevin Hines, Orange County Legislator
Roxanne Donnery, Orange County Legislator
Matthew Turnbull, Orange County Legislator
Katie Bonelli, Orange County Legislator
Michael Amo, Orange County Legislator
Chrisopher Eachus, Orange County Legislator
Comments:
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I live in new Windsor.ny and this hospital has always been my rock, the people that work there are the best, we need this e.r more then you know, I so agree with the this letter, please read this and check the facts for yourself, thank you beverly
posted by BEVERLY CANNELLI on 09/12/13 at 5:40 PM
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Very well put...I agree 100% with you as I myself have medical issues and have visited the Cornwall Hospital 2 times this year and both times I was en-route to the St Lukes campus in Newburgh when they advised the ambulance to bring me back to the Cornwall campus as they were too busy and had no room. I was admitted to the Hospital both times and spent one night in the ER do to no room for me at ST Lukes..The second time I spent 3/4 of the day again in Cornwall do to no room so were do we go if there are only 12 hrs of operation when St Lukes is full.That is only this year and it has also happened in the past as well.Bad call on someones behalf
posted by JIM SEBESTA on 09/12/13 at 7:19 PM
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