Local Hospitals Say Beds At A Premium

With nearly 2.5 million people in the borough of Queens, immediate and comprehensive health care is a necessity. But it seems that the state of health care is in crisis as area hospital officials say they face a shortage of beds.
“Certainly in western Queens, where we are, we could definitely use more beds,” said Kathy Rubenstein, a spokesperson for Mt. Sinai Hospital Queens, which, although certified to operate 235 beds, only operates 194.
Mt. Sinai Hospital in Astoria, with an overall occupancy rate of 95%, boasts specialized services, including designation as a New York State stroke center, depths in surgery, and expertise in palliative care.
“Given our service area and the average number of beds in New York City for the population, if you use that statistic, western Queens should have 900 beds,” Rubenstein told The Queens Courier.
New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) is running at 96.6% occupancy (medical-surgical), according to Paul Pickard, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Marketing. And while there are currently 439 beds at the facility, Pickard said most are filled.
“We are applying to the state for permission for an additional 72 beds to be accommodated in a new building,” said Pickard. “We desperately need extra beds and we need to upgrade our facilities.”
The overall project would cost an estimated $150 million, including capital improvements on existing facilities that house a cardiovascular program (the only heart surgery program in Queens with the exception of Long Island Jewish medical centers in New Hyde Park), a Level 1 trauma center, cancer center and a Level 3 neo-natal Intensive Care Unit.
“We see the highest percentage of patients in the borough,” said Cynthia Bacon, a spokesperson for NYHQ. “We have the largest number of discharges.”
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC), which serves a population greater than 1.2 million in Queens and eastern Brooklyn, is a 387-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital that is a New York state designated stroke center, a Level 1 trauma center, and one of only four centers of Bioterrorism Preparedness in New York City.
And although statistics show that JHMC is currently operating at 94% capacity, according to Ole Pederson, a spokesperson for the hospital, this figure is slightly skewed.
“We also hold patients in the emergency department who require critical care or a trauma bed,” Pederson told The Courier. “Even though we may be at 94%, in some areas [such as critical care], it’s over 100%.”
Councilwoman Helen Sears, who sits on the Health Care Committee, told The Courier, “Queens County has been blessed with the modernization of facilities and quality of care within them. We have very fine hospitals.”
Regarding the shortage of beds, Sears went on to promise to “do her homework” and said, “in terms of beds, it’s a lengthy state process to get more.”
toni@queenscourier.com