Lee Memorial Hospital does not surface in debate
Last Thursday’s town-hall meeting held at the Tavern on the Lock Restaurant in Fulton brought many people out to hear N.Y. State Senator Darrel Aubertine and his opponent Dave Renzi discuss current issues. One hot-button issue, however, was not directly addressed: the fate of the A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital.

The hospital has been seeking to retain its emergency-room services and inpatient beds since late November of 2006 when the New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission, recommended that the Fulton facility be converted into an outpatient diagnostic and treatment urgent-care center operating under New York State Article 28 licensure.

The state amended the hospital’s operating certificate to extend full hospital services through June 30, 2009 to allow for an orderly transition to clinic services only.

Hospital officials recently submitted a closure plan to the New York State Department of Health, according to Jeffrey Hammond, spokesperson for the Public Affairs Office for the health department. That plan is currently under review, Hammond added.

Prior to the town-hall debate, a staff member for Senator Aubertine was handing out flyers that read “Helped save 200 jobs at A. L. Lee Memorial, keeping the doors open and beds in place.”

The press was not allowed to ask questions during the town-hall meeting so Senator Aubertine was asked at the conclusion if he felt his flyer might be misleading to the public since the health department has not given any indication that the hospital will remain status quo. He responded that he did not feel the flyer was misleading and indicated that there is hope for the hospital.

The only hope, according to other state officials, is for Lee Memorial to merge with another hospital. A merger would require the other hospital to give up an equal number of beds, Senator Aubertine noted.

When asked where the state would find the money to finance Lee Memorial so that it can remain status quo, Senator Aubertine responded, “The state will have to find the money.”

Lee Memorial was pursuing a possible affiliation with Oswego Health, operator of Oswego Hospital. Lee Memorial officials presented a proposal for a legal affiliation June 5. Soon after, however, Oswego Health officials released a statement indicating that negotiations for a partnership were terminated. Board officials have begun affiliation talks with St. Joseph’s and Crouse hospitals in Syracuse, according to information provided to the media in June.

Senator Aubertine said he remains optimistic about the future of the hospital

No status update on the fate of the hospital has been released since mid-August when the state confirmed that the closure plan is under review.

The commission’s recommendations included the merging or restructuring of more than 50 hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state, including closing nine hospitals.

The federal government pledged $1.5 billion in aid to the state contingent on the implementation of the recommendations, on the basis that the measures would reduce costs while improving quality and access to needed services. The state has made $550 million available to help health-care facilities to implement Berger Commission recommendations.