Berger report - the other shoe

Along with releasing a list of hospitals recommended for closure last week, the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century has also suggested the restructuring of some hospitals, including merging two hospitals in Queens and increasing the number of beds in another.
In the Rockaways, the commission is recommending that both Peninsula Hospital Center and St. John's Episcopal Center decrease their number of beds while also combining with one another.
&#8220It is recommended that Peninsula Hospital Center downsize by approximately 99 beds to approximately 173 beds and that St. John's Episcopal Hospital downsize by approximately 81 beds to approximately 251 beds,” the report states. &#8220Contingent upon financing, it is recommended that Peninsula Hospital Center and St. John's Episcopal Hospital merge and rebuild a single facility with approximately 400 inpatient beds, and provide comprehensive emergency, inpatient, psychiatric and ambulatory services.”
Not of all of the news released by the Commission on Health Care Facilities, also known as the Berger Commission, was bad news. The commission is also recommending that about 40 medical/surgical beds be added to Queens Hospital Center, which is located in Jamaica.
When the commission released its report, it said, &#8220recommendations will produce an estimated total benefit to payers and providers of over $1.5 billion annually.”
&#8220The commission's recommendations are fair, responsible, and distributed equitably across the state. They are bold when possible and cautious when necessary. Affected facilities may complain but pointing a finger and saying excess capacity is someone else's problem is inadequate,” said commission chairman Stephen Berger. &#8220The opportunity for change is real and the money needed to achieve it is available. We cannot afford to squander either.”
Governor George Pataki has until December 5 to approve or reject the commission's final list of recommendations. If he accepts it, then it will be sent to the Legislature, who will have until the end of December to make a decision on it.
&#8220After reviewing the Berger Commission Report, I believe its recommendations should be sent to the Legislature,” Governor-Elect Eliot Spitzer said. &#8220There may be individual recommendations included in this report with which I would disagree, but the nature of this process is that the recommendations must be accepted or rejected in their entirety.”
The complete final report issued by the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century can be seen by going to www.nyhealthcarecommission.org.