FULTON/OSWEGO, NY – A week has passed since officials from A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital and Oswego Health met to discuss a possible agreement that could maintain some health care services in Fulton.
While this week was reserved for officials to bring updates to their respective sides, both sides agree that talks will continue next week.
“We met (June 5),” said Nancy Bellow, head of Oswego Health’s board of directors. “It a was very professional, very cordial meeting. Afterward, we both had to go back to our respective committees for talks. Those meetings were held this week.”
“Yes, we both went back to our respective committees,” said Richard Abbott, head of Lee Memorial’s board. Rather than meeting with the full boards, Abbott said that each side was meeting with subcommittees of their boards. In Fulton, the information was brought back to the Options Committee.
Abbott said he also believes last week’s meeting with Oswego Health was positive.
“It was very cordial,” Abbott said. “We got down to what can be done. … It was a very fruitful and beneficial meeting for both parties.”
Abbott noted that the two sides are keeping the details of those meetings private at this time.
“We are keeping those things within our own houses because of the nature of the talks and the sensitivity of the issues,” he said.
In addition to its internal meeting this week, Bellow pointed out that Oswego Health is also working to get information from the state Department of Health.
“We have some questions of the Department of Health relative to how this all relates to us if this were to happen,” Bellow said. “We are trying to get some answers.”
As of Thursday evening, there were no dates set in stone for the next meeting between the two groups.
“There is nothing definitely scheduled yet but we know that we need to talk,” Bellow said. “We will have those talks sometime next week.”
State Senator Darrel Aubertine said that he is not directly involved in the talks between the two groups. He noted, however, that he has been updated.
“I am not directly involved but I’ve been updated on their progress,” Aubertine said. “They have kept me apprised.
“But any comments (about those talks) would need to come from Oswego Health or Lee Memorial,” he added.
Aubertine said he is hopeful for an amicable solution to the current situation in Fulton.
“This is an opportunity between and the end of June to move forward in Oswego County in a positive way,” Aubertine said.
“The conversations taking place are between these two facilities; and rightly so,” he added. “In the end, they will be the decision makers here. It is certainly possible to improve things between now and the end of June.”
Aubertine said he believes the June 30 deadline puts those talks on an “aggressive” timeline, though he noted that he does not believe it is out of reach.
“I think it is aggressive to say the least,” he said. “But to put together a memorandum of understanding… there is enough time to do that. If the memorandum of understanding is finalized, they have time to work out the details.
“We all recognize to do something in a matter of weeks is difficult,” he added. “But they have a model to work with if they choose to. It is a template that they can use. … It is an aggressive timetable but something that can be done.”
Aubertine said that his understanding is that the state Department of Health would accept a memorandum of understanding to meet the deadline and allow time for the fine details of an agreement to be worked out after decisions are made at the state level.
“They would accept that as a ‘down payment,’ for lack of better words, on a final agreement,” Aubertine said. “But it must be done by June 30. That is still a very real deadline.
“As long as there is progress being made and a memorandum of understanding is in place, that would go a long way toward satisfying the Berger Commission recommendations,” he added. “That would satisfy the requirements and they would have time to work out the details on a more acceptable timeline after that.”
Assemblyman Will Barclay issued a statement after the June 5 meeting to show his support for the talks that are going on between the two health care facilities.
“I am happy that A. L. Lee Memorial Hospital and Oswego Health met today to explore options for the future,” Barclay wrote. “In order to preserve health care for the Fulton community it is critical that A.L. Lee Memorial and Oswego Health form some type of affiliation. This is a position I’ve advocated from the time it was clear that the recommendations of the Berger Commission could not be completely overturned.”
Barclay noted that he understands it is not an easy task.
“While talks are underway, many difficult decisions lie ahead,” he said. “These are not easy negotiations and there are no guarantees. Many difficult issues will need to be resolved, and they can only be successfully resolved if there is trust between the two entities. It is premature to say anything has been resolved or decided at this point.
“I will continue to assist in anyway possible and would urge all involved to be sensitive about presenting undecided options as the truth of the matter until many issues are resolved,” Barclay added.
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WHY WHY WHY! Why did it take Fulton so freaking long to decide to seek cooperation with Oswego on this! The administration (and perhaps board) should be called on the carpet. What did they think? This was going away???? Hide under the bed and the state boogie-man won’t find you? Now they are under a ‘time constraint’ to find a savior for this. You can no longer blame the state for this. Responsibility falls squarely on the heads of the hospital which just keeps going on as ‘business as usual’.
OH so not true. Obviously Wayne doesn’t have much to do with the hospital or to have contact with any volunteers, employees, or patients. The board and management have gone above and beyond, burning the midnight oil so to speak. Using their own funds and time to travel to wherever there is a meeting, including many trips to Albany. I don’t think placing blame on any party,is very productive. Do not assume that nothing was going on, sometimes the wheels just turn more a lot more slowly than you need. And we all know what happens when you assume, don’t we? All we read in the press as we should know, is not always the truth, the whole truth, so help us God.
We as a community should unite and hope & prey that a satisfactory end for all concerned, will be the final result.
Fulton is a shrinking, dying city, Oswego isn’t doing much better, welcome to the rustbelt folks, these things happen. Oswego Health had offered a few years back to merge in the interest of both hospitals but Fulton was arrogant and didn’t realize this writing on the wall, many did, they didn’t or were too ignorant (a theme in Fulton). So now instead of a true “two becoming stronger as one” they’re going to eat their lunches and it’ll wind up being a lot worse for people on their side of the fence.
apparently lee memorial board members and some of the polititions in fulton are cut from the same cloth. nero fiddled while rome burned, it’s been going on for years in the city fulton. here’s some history for you: 14’500 people in the sixties with a heck of a lot more businessews than you have now. 20 cops, with foot patrols on both sides of the river(all night long) 1 fire department, a much smaller dpw with less equipment, a hospital that delivered babies and actually helped people much faster, fewer people in government to screw things up. however did we get along back in the fifties when i was proud to say that i was from fulton. oh, one last note to law enforcement out there, apparently you people aren’t to sharp on nys law, IT’S AGAINST THE LAW TO TALK ON A CELL PHONE.