Coming up at 10:00am: Joint public hearing reviewing the impact of COVID-19 on NY’s hospitals as well as how current state hospital policies impacted the approach to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can tune in here: https://www.nyassembly.gov/av/live/ 

Or follow along as we live tweet.

The hearing is under way.

Our first panel is made up of 1) Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, 2) Jim Malatras, President, Empire State College, and 3) Gareth Rhodes, Deputy Superintendent and Special Counsel, Dept. of Financial Services.

Howard Zucker: "The first challenge we recognized as NY’s COVID-19 surge began was that our 53,000 statewide licensed bed capacity needed to be drastically increased to meet a demand that some statistical models placed as high as 140,000 beds."

Zucker: "At every hospital, in every ward, on every floor, in every hallway, and on every gurney, health care workers were making critical decisions, focused solely on saving the patient in front of them. And maybe twenty minutes later, doing it again for the next patient."

Moving onto questions, @JamesSkoufis asks: NY had a shortage of PPE, mostly because the federal government wasn't doing its job. What can we do?

Howard Zucker: Hospitals must now have 90 days of PPE so that we are prepared. The state is looking into avenues to manufacture more.

. @NYSenatorFelder brings up the importance of families being present with patients in the hospital. This time, the guidance was not to allow anyone to stay with their loved ones. He asks: is there some plan to improve this policy?

Zucker: We have to remember where we were at that moment in time. Back then, we had to ensure this wouldn't spread through the hospital because we had many vulnerable patients. We had a visitation policy implemented in May. We understand the virus better now.

Now, @AMDanQuart: It seemed to me there was a disconnect between hospital administrators and nurses, who were on the news telling us that there was not enough PPE. Did DOH have awareness of what was happening on hospital floors?

Zucker: “What’s reported isn’t always accurate." DOH was in contact with hospital administrators and physicians.

. @senatorgallivan now asks: was anyone who needed one denied a ventilator?

Zucker: No, everyone who needed one got one. There are now 60 people on ventilators. Down from 4,500.

. @SenatorOMara asks: what was the peak occupancy in NY hospitals?

Zucker: On April 12, we had over 18,000 patients hospitalized, with 5,000 in ICU beds, and 4,500 intubated.

. @rontkim asks: is the DOH investigating any transfers between hospitals and other health care facilities that could have led to mistreatment or the spread of COVID to others?

Zucker says the pandemic is ongoing. DOH does after-action reports.

. @SenatorMetzger: This crisis took a heavy toll on hospital workers. What is being done to make sure they have the support they need?

Zucker: We have a COVID mental health hotline. We know this is an issue and are working to further address this.

. @bradhoylman asks about the decision to allow Samaritan's Purse, led by Franklin Graham, who is known for his homophobic and transphobic comments. Will you look into the decision to allow them to set up on public land?

Zucker: The state was not involved in the decision.

. @SenatorHelming:Rural hospitals were facing significant financial challenges pre-COVID. COVID preparations & cancelation of elective surgeries has put further strain on them. How do we help rural community hospitals?

Zucker:This is a problem. We are working to meet their needs.

. @SenatorBiaggi pushes Dr. Zucker to take a stand and voice his position on the proposed closure of Mount Vernon's hospital. He refuses.

. @LindaBRosenthal brings up the closures of substance use disorder treatment programs.

How many hospitals around the state closed their inpatient treatment programs because of COVID? What steps were taken to ensure those who were turned away had access to other programs?

. @EllenCJaffee asks: How have our youth been affected by COVID?

Zucker: Fortunately, this virus doesn't affect kids the way others have. The number of children infected is in the 1%. Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children has been a problem. We are monitoring this.

. @AileenMGunther: Nurses are the backbone of healthcare. Isn't it time for safe staffing for nurses?

We have been picketing. We have been crying out for it for years.

. @JakeCAshby: Was your department ever denied resources by the federal government?

Malatras: Ventilators.

Zucker follows up: I would have liked more testing.

That concludes our first panel!

Next up: @CarlinaRivera Chair of the Committee on Hospitals for the New York City Council.

. @CarlinaRivera says she is glad we are holding a hearing today.

She wants to address one hard truth: our initial failure to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. New York lost more lives than any other state in the country.

"We need to pass the New York State Health Act," says @CarlinaRivera.

. @NYSenatorRivera wants to address any disconnect that might have existed between the state's administration and guidance and the city.

@CarlinaRivera: I don't think any hospitals were particularly at fault. Every did their best. The issues of inequity are much more systemic.

. @AMDanQuart asks what a 20% budget cut to hospitals would mean in real terms to our city hospitals?

. @CarlinaRivera: These cuts would be catastrophic. Our hospitals are already struggling and these cuts should be the last thing on the table.

. @rontkim: Do you know how the $$$ NY received from the fed gov't was distributed? Did communities of color in the outer boroughs receive their fair share of funding?

@CarlinaRivera highlights the challenges she's had getting data about financing. She does not believe they have.

We are on to panel 3, our witnesses are:

Bea Grause, President, Healthcare Association of New York State

Kenneth Raske, President, Greater NY Hospital Association

Grause: "As the peak has receded in New York, a new reality has come into sharp focus: a serious fiscal crisis, not only for providers, but for the state as a whole."

. @DickGottfried: while COVID is unprecedented, hospitals don't eliminate visitation during flu season. What can we learn from that?

Grause: Protecting patients, visitors, and health care workers is our top priority. We are still piloting but we may see changes moving forward.

. @johnmcdonald108 points out that many Members, particularly upstate, feel there wasn't enough financial support for them.

. @SenatorOMara: what are the attitudes of people who need surgery? Are they concerned about coming into the hospital?

Raske highlights a poll of 1,200 people across New York, asking their attitudes towards seeking care at a hospital.

. @Byrne4NY: If you were asked by the DOH or the legislature, could you provide numbers on the fatalities, including the deaths coming from nursing homes?

Grause: We'll see what we can provide.

Raske adds: My staff says there is a time delay.

Raske: We just asked our health care workers to be heroes and now we're going to turn around and lay off staff?

We are facing a growing crisis. All hospitals are going to have to cut costs but we have to find a way to do that without causing damage to our healthcare system.

Grause: Our hospitals are economic engines, especially in rural communities.

We have concluded our 3rd panel.

We will now take a short, 10 minute break!

We're back with:

Veronica Turner-Biggs, EVP, 1199 SEIU

David Van de Carr, 1199 member, Respiratory Therapist, Mount Sinai Morningside

Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, President, NYS Nurses Association

Arleda Moore, Environmental Service Worker, Garnet Health Medical Center

. @JamesSkoufis now asks: what services were made available by your employers, the hospitals, to address your mental health needs?

David: We spoke to a grief counselor via zoom but most of my therapy came from my co-workers because they understood what we've been through.

. @NYSenatorRivera were nurses penalized for bringing in their own PPE?

Sheridan-Gonzalez, President of @nynurses
says: In some facilities nurses were told they would be sent home for bringing in their own PPE.

We had to go to press to defend our members.

. @Byrne4NY asks Van de Carr, a respiratory therapist at Mount Sinai Morningside: Can you confirm that you had an adequate amount of ventilators?

Van de Carr: Maybe not the kind of ventilators doctors would have preferred but every patient at Morningside who needed one got one.

Veronica Turner-Biggs, Executive Vice President of @1199SEIU, says she is very concerned there will be additional cuts to hospital staff.

"I am concerned that workers will be the cost after they were just on the frontlines of this pandemic."

. @rontkim had a small glimpse of the trauma healthcare workers were going through while visiting facilities in April. He is thankful for their work but knows that's not enough.

"Do your members want a parade or do you want to be paid?"

Turner-Biggs: Our members want to be paid.

On to our next panel:

Elisabeth Benjamin, VP of Health Initiatives, @CSSNYorg

Anothony Feliciano, Director, @CPHS_NY

Judy Wessler, New York, NY

Lois Uttley, Women’s Health Program Director, @CV4HSA

Anothony Feliciano, Director of @CPHS_NY, testifies:

"When an indiscriminate virus is unleashed in a city, state, and country where racially unjust systems have long decided who lives, who gets by, who thrives, and who dies, the impact is anything but equal."

Next up:

David Pearlstein, President/CEO St. Barnabas Hospital

Dr. Bonnie Litvack, @mssnytweet

Patricia Burkhardt, Treasurer, NYS Association of Licensed Midwives

Carole Ann Moleti, Certified Nurse Midwife, NYS Association of Licensed Midwives

. @docblp, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York, testifies:

This crisis tested our State and the medical profession like never before. We need to be sure we are providing adequate assistance to our frontline heroes. Physician burnout is a growing problem.

"When the New York State Health Act becomes law, we won't have to worry about ERISA plans," @DickGottfried says.

Our next panelists are:

Ralph Palladino, Second Vice President, @DistCouncil37

Debbie Hayes, Upstate Area Director, @CWADistrict1

@frederickkowal of @uupinfo

. @frederickkowal of United University Professions ( @uupinfo) testifies:

"There are several new revenue sources the state can and should consider to aid New York’s financial pandemic recovery. They include passing new taxes on billionaires and ultra-millionaires who live in NY."

Ralph Palladino of @DistCouncil37 testifies:

The heroic work of our frontline healthcare workers included 5,000 @Local1549AFSCME clerical members. These workers are the first to greet COVID-19 patients upon entry to our facilities. They must be recognized and rewarded properly.

"There is no cushion in our hospitals to deal with a surge or a pandemic... our staff is so bare-boned that a pandemic like this immediately pushes you into crisis. It's always patients and workers who bear the brunt of the burden."

- Debbie Hayes, @CWADistrict1

We are taking a break and then we will return for the final stretch!

We now have the following witnesses testifying:

@CatHanssens, Founder of @hivlawandpolicy

Jessica Barlow, Senior Staff Attorney for @DRNY_org

Marcus Harazin, Coordinator Patient Advocates Program for @NY_StateWide

"It's clear that people w/ disabilities, including people w/ chronic health problems, are especially vulnerable to COVID. People with disabilities also have faced a long history of discrimination and stigma in society and particularly in their medical treatment."

- @CatHanssens

Marcus Harazin of @NY_StateWide stresses the importance of communication with families:

"Non-English speaking families need to be provided with information they can understand. Materials must be translated into languages consistent with the communities in need."

We are on to our final panel of the day:

Erik Larsen, Assistant Director of EMS & Emergency Preparedness, White Plains Hospital

Miao Jenny Hua, MD, PhD, New York, NY

Janet Mendez, Morningside Heights, NY

Miao Jenny Hua was a frontline physician working 12 hour shifts during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis. She says that private hospitals were not acting as if it was their job to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ms. Mendez is a COVID-19 survivor. She was in medically induced coma for 2 weeks. After she was released, she received a call regarding her bill - $75,000 out of pocket.

Fortunately, thanks to the help of her sister, she learned the hospital didn't have her insurance on file.

Ms. Mendez points out that as someone who lives paycheck to paycheck, she could never afforded to pay such a bill.

She highlights that people who are uninsured often go into medical debt as a result of unexpected medical emergencies.

. @JamesSkoufis asks Miao Jenny Hua: "Do you have faith, in your experience, that the lesson was learned? That hospitals will be prepared in case of a second wave?

Hua: We have to be on guard for a second surge but I do not see evidence that the lesson has been learned.

. @TomAbinanti asks: Did more people die than had to? Could we have done something better?

Hua: Simple answer is yes.

Dr. Larsen: Prevention is the best route. If we as a society shut down, educated, and implemented preventative measures, we could have prevented a lot of this.

And that's a wrap!

This concludes 8 hours of testimony on COVID-19 and hospitals. For those of us still with us, thank you for joining. And thank you to all the witnesses who offered testimony.