HealthCare STAT -- Protecting Patients' Rights and Access to Care in Ulster County

A number of organizations around Ulster County have passed resolutions agreeing with us on the merger.
Click any name on the following list to see thier complete resolution.

Ulster County Democratic Women

Saugerties Democratic Committee

Woodstock Town Board

Shandaken Democrat club

ULSTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC WOMEN

In response to the recent Memorandum of Agreement of the parties to the Ulster County hospital affiliation the UCDW membership voted at the regular monthly meeting March 12, 2007 as follows:

We, the members of Ulster County Democratic Women, are concerned that the existing plans and Memorandum of Agreement between The Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital have not adequately protected patients' rights and community access to care. Because the Berger Commission timetable (end of 2007) is rapidly approaching, we formally ask the hospitals to publicly address these concerns:

Relocating women's health services to a "proximate" location should not be approved. Reproductive health care is woven into the fabric of care throughout a non-religious hospital, and such a move would not further the public's health because it would fragment and stigmatize reproductive health care. There is no practical or legal reason to segregate reproductive services if the hospital alliance is designed to protect the historic identities and missions of each hospital.
The MOA and subsequent documents should explicitly ensure that Kingston Hospital and Kingston Regional Healthcare System (consisting of Margaretville Memorial Hospital, the Kingston Continuing Care Retirement Community, and the Kingston Regional Health Care Foundation) will remain nonsectarian and will continue to provide a full range of reproductive health services, HIV/AIDS prevention information and end-of-life choices within the hospital.
The MOA and subsequent documents should not endanger the ability of Kingston Hospital and its affiliates to continue to provide a full range of health care services and research.
Create a formal, ongoing opportunity for public participation - the first of which should be held before May 31st.

Adopted by vote March 12, 2007.

Ulster County Democratic Women
Julie McQuain, President
www.UCDW.org

UCDW membership represents: Kingston, New Paltz, Woodstock, Marbletown, Olive, Hardenburgh, Saugerties, Shandaken, Rosendale, Hurley, Ulster, Marlborough, Rochester, Esopus, Wawarsing, Shawangunk, Denning, Lloyd and Gardiner.

Saugerties Democratic Party Committee

Resolution Regarding Hospital Merger

Ulster County, New York State

Whereas, the Ulster County Democratic Women adopted a Resolution on March 12, 2007 regarding the Memorandum of Agreement between The Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital; and

Whereas the Saugerties Democratic Party Committee supports the Resolution adopted by Democratic Women; and

Whereas, we, the members of the Saugerties Democratic Party Committee, are concerned that the existing plans for Memorandum of agreement between The Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital have not adequately protected patients' rights and community access to care and because the Berger Commission timetable (end of 2007) is rapidly approaching, it is hereby;

Resolved that the Saugerties Democratic Party Committee requests the hospitals to publicly address the following concerns:

Relocating women's health services to a "proximate" location should not be approved. Reproductive health care is woven into the fabric of care throughout a non-religious hospital, and such a move would not further the public's health because it would fragment and stigmatize reproductive health care. There is no practical or legal reason to segregate reproductive services if the hospital alliance is designed to protect the historic and missions of each hospital.

The MOA and subsequent documents should explicitly ensure that Kingston Hospital and Kingston Regional Healthcare System (consisting of Margaretville memorial Hospital, the Kingston Continuing Care Retirement Community, and the Kingston Regional Health Care Foundation) will remain nonsectarian and will continue to provide a full range of reproductive health services, HIV/AIDS prevention information and end-of-life choices within the hospital.

The MOA and subsequent documents should not endanger the ability of Kingston Hospital and its affiliates to continue to provide a full range of health care services and research.

Create a formal, ongoing opportunity for public participation - the first of which should be held by May 31st.

, and it is further

Resolved, that this resolution by communicated by the Chair of this Committee to our State and local elected officials and to representatives of the Kingston Hospital, and Benedictine Hospital, and to all other individuals involved in hospital merger discussion and decision-making.

Adopted by unanimous at the March 27, 2007 meeting of the Saugerties Democratic Party Committee meeting.

Michael Harkavy, Chair

Woodstock Town Board

Resolution adopted (5-0) by the Woodstock Town Board April 10, 2007 regarding the hospital merger

Whereas the Berger Commission has recommended the merger of Kingston and Benedictine Hospitals for the purpose of economic viability, and

Whereas the governing boards of the respective hospitals have met for the purpose of constructing a final agreement concerning the roles and services to be provided by each entity, therefore be it

Resolved that the Woodstock Town Board urge the governing boards of the respective hospitals to accept as guiding principles for such final agreement the following:

Maintain the integration of women's health and reproductive services into Kingston Hospital's main facility.

Maintain provision of HIV/AIDS prevention information, end-of-life choices and the potential for stem cell therapy within the Kingston Hospital's main facility.

Maintain the secular status of the Kingston Hospital governing board with language in the final agreement that specifically outlines Kingston Hospital's authority and independence with respect to its mission of providing all its health services in a secular environment.

Maintain close consultation with Health Care Stat and other community organizations to help ensure a successful realignment of the hospitals,

and be it further

Resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be sent to Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, Mr. Dennis Whalen, Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Services, Senator William Larkin, and David Donaldson, Chairman of the Ulster County Legislature, Dr. Ellis Lader, Chairman of the Board of Benedictine Hospital, and Dr. Eugene Heslin, Chairman of the Board of Kingston Hospital.

Shandaken Democrat Club

Resolution adopted by unanimous vote of the membership on April 23rd, 2007 regarding the pending merger of the Kingston and Benedictine Hospital:

Whereas Kingston and Benedictine Hospital have been mandated to realign by legislation based on the findings of The Commission of Health Care in 21st Century, (Berger Commission)

Whereas Kingston Hospital is our region's only secular hospital, and its non-sectarian identity is clearly stated in its mission statement,

Whereas Benedictine Hospital operates under the Ethical and Religious Directives of the Catholic Church, which prohibit certain health care services,

The Shandaken Democratic Club resolves to encourage the Administration and the Board of Trustees of Kingston Hospital to maintain its secular mission, continuing to offer the full range of medical and surgical services which have been available to this date, or may be available in the future, including contraception, sterilization, abortion, stem cell therapies and end of life options, and to protect the continuation of these services by keeping them within the physical and corporate structure of The Kingston Hospital,

Further, the Shandaken Democrat Club resolves that the community based organization, HealthCare STAT, should be given a seat on the committee which is determining how the hospitals are going to be aligned and how services are going to be consolidated between the two hospitals.

Further, the Shandaken Democrat Club resolves to ask the New York State Department of Health to give serious consideration to the impact upon our regional community of forcing a secular and a Catholic hospital to combine, thus compromising, the availability of the full range of services listed above.

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