The OBSERVER’s View: With state support, hospital beats the odds
With state support, hospital beats the odds
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When state Gov. Kathy Hochul came to the north county on Thursday, Brooks-TLC was a big winner. For starters, the new north county hospital that will be located at 412 E. Main St. is making progress.
Construction crews are entering the site daily -- and a shell of a structure is evident to passersby. In addition, Hochul announced another $50 million that will be earmarked for the facility, making the state's total contribution for the $223 million facility at $124 million.
“While Washington may be defunding hospitals, here in New York, we’re building hospitals. We believe in our hospitals. We build them in big cities and we build them in small towns. We build them right here in Chautauqua County,” Hochul said at the press conference. “Today, we’re finally taking a big step toward delivering the hospital that this community has deserved.”
Part of this year's state budget included the Safety Net Transformation Program to encourage partnerships that improve the resilience of healthcare institutions by providing strategic capital and operating support, in addition to required regulatory flexibility. Through this project, Kaleida Health received a $371 million award -- $50 million of which is dedicated for the hospital in Fredonia.
New York state and Hochul deserve a lot of credit for making this happen. Leadership at Kaleida in Chief Executive Officer Don Boyd and Brooks-TLC's Ken Morris also had a large role.
For more than a decade, Brooks-TLC was teetering on the brink of insolvency. With the support from Albany -- and a partnership with Kaleida Health -- it appears there is stability and momentum for the institution's future.