Parkway hospital vows to stay open

After being the only Queens hospital targeted for potential closing by the Commission on Health Care Facilities, The New Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills expressed its dedication to keeping its doors open to the community.
&#8220We will fight any attempt to close this important and strategic community resource,” said Dr. Robert J. Aquino, the hospital's President and CEO.
When the commission released its report last week, Parkway was one of nine hospitals throughout the state, and the only one in Queens, to be on the list of recommended closings. The report stated that, &#8220It is recommended that Parkway Hospital close in an orderly fashion.”
The report went on to say, &#8220Using the Commission's framework criteria, Parkway Hospital is the only hospital in New York State to receive below-average scores on all six of the criteria: service to vulnerable populations, quality of care utilization, viability, availability of services, and economic impact. Parkway's low occupancy rate and poor finances indicate that it is unneeded and cannot stand as a viable, stand-alone entity, surrounded by larger, more comprehensive facilities.”
Parkway, which has filed for bankruptcy, is a 251-bed, not-for-profit hospital. It is located in between the two major airports in Queens, JFK and LaGuardia, is a designated burn center and an official 911 receiving hospital. It also has a Wound Care Center, which has three state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers, and is a preferred provider in the TriCare Military Health Care Plan.
The New Parkway Hospital serves a large elderly population that lives in Forest Hills, estimated at approximately 112,000 people. The hospital has several programs to accommodate this age group.
The hospital also boasts being &#8220a focal point for education, information and community awareness for the people of Queens.”
&#8220We are a private hospital and receive no subsidies or grants from the State of New York or any other agency,” Aquino said. &#8220In fact, it's just the opposite; we pay corporate and real estate taxes and are a source of revenue for the city and the state.”
Aquino also said that the hospital has low costs while keep service at a high level.
&#8220The New Parkway Hospital was also the lowest-cost hospital in the borough of Queens in terms of inpatient costs,” he said. &#8220As a private hospital we can not only control cost, but also care. Our senior staff makes rounds every day, assuring a level of personalized care not often found in larger institutions.”