OSWEGO, NY – Oswego Health knew nothing about a plan that gives it less than a month to help save some services at Fulton’s Lee Memorial hospital, Oswego Health’s board of trustees president said.
Tuesday, Senator Darrel Aubertine put out a press release that said he is working with A.L. Lee Memorial Hospital and the state Department of Health to negotiate an agreement to save emergency and acute care services in Fulton through an affiliation another hospital.
While Aubertine’s release did not specifically name Oswego Health as that hospital, a spokesperson for the state Health Department did. As that news came out Wednesday, Nancy Bellow, the head of Oswego Health’s board of trustees, said it was news to her.
“Oswego Health has not been part of the discussions between the Senator, Lee Memorial or the Department of Health,” Bellow said. “The department of health spokesperson said that a deal has been struck without the knowledge or input of Oswego Health.”
Claudia Hutton, director of Public Affairs for the New York State Health Department, said Tuesday evening that it was possible for Lee Memorial to keep the emergency room open “if they enter an agreement with Oswego Hospital.” She noted that the affiliation was the key element.
“Though we’ve been working with Lee Memorial over the past 16 months, talks for the past few months have been only between Lee Memorial and Senator Aubertine,” Bellow said. “His press release blindsided us.”
Bellow said that Oswego Health and Lee Memorial had reached a memorandum of understanding and sealed a confidentiality agreement several months ago. She pointed out, however, that due diligence between the two sides has not started.
Bellow noted, too, that the senator was at Oswego Hospital this past Friday. “He never said a word,” she said.
Aubertine said he spoke with Bellow Wednesday.
“I am hopeful they will be able to work things out,” Aubertine said. “There has been negotiations between the two groups. They had slowed down a bit. Hopefully they can pick back up.
“There certainly is a hard deadline of June 30,” he added. “I am hopeful they can make some progress between now and then.”
Aubertine confirmed that while he has been talking with the health department and Lee Memorial, he has not had discussions with Oswego Health on the issue.
Aubertine stressed, however, that he believes that there is an opportunity in Oswego County similar to the situation in Westchester. Aubertine pointed out that the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry struck and agreement with Riverside Health Care to maintain services and operate in compliance with Berger.
“I’ve worked only to put together an opportunity to rekindle the talks,” Aubertine said. “There is an opportunity for Lee Memorial and Oswego to pick up on their discussions and try to put together a resolution or a collaboration based on the Dobbs Ferry model. The possibility exists. … We will know more as those talks go forward.
“I think it would behoove everyone to let negotiations and talks go forward at this point and see how it goes,” Aubertine added.
Bellow said the Dobbs Ferry model has been discussed.
“We have discussed Dobbs Ferry,” Bellow said. “This is not new news. … We talked over Dobbs Ferry with Lee and jointly with the Department of Health in a conference call. The DOH said, ‘Let‘s see a proposal.'”
Bellow said that a group of Lee Memorial officials are slated to meet today with a group from Oswego Health.
But is it possible to reach and seal an agreement before June 30?
“I don’t know,” Bellow said. “We are going to give this our best efforts. We will meet, have a good conversation and figure out what our potential next steps are.
“There are more than just a few details to be ironed out,” Bellow added. She pointed out that the group would have to reach a formal agreement first to get to the point that it is ready to proceed with due diligence and work through that process.
Bellow said because the two sides have been in talks since January 2007, she doesn’t believe it is a process that has to start from scratch.
“Hopefully we can regroup on some frameworks that we talked about a few months ago,” Bellow said. “Then we would need to come to an agreement on what it would be and get a formal proposal to the Department of Health that is in compliance with Berger. It must be Berger compliant.
“That is the ultimate challenge,” she stressed. “This is not only an agreement but an agreement that has to meet the Berger Commission recommendations.
“Can we get it done by the end of the month? I don’t know,” Bellow said. “It would be irresponsible of me to just say we can. … We are going to do our jobs.”
Lee Memorial Executive Director Dennis Casey declined comment.
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What have you been waiting for Oswego Health?? You have known that Fulton needed to be saved and that you could save their hospital services. Blindsided my [bleep!]. [Attacking comment removed here.] make a deal to keep Fulton open. Do it now, then figure out the details later. Or, maybe the entire Oswego Health Board should be replaced with people more akin to looking at the bigger picture.
I worry that Aubertine’s bumbling is going to cost us our hospital! Why wasn’t he paying attention to this for longer than 30 days before Lee is going to close? Now, shooting his mouth off before a deal is in place sends the wrong message to everyone who’s involved. Is this what happens when you get your direction from downstate, big-government types?
I would like to know what Lee officials have been doing. Wasn’t there money available from the state to help with this? Didn’t the berger commission state they would operate as a treatment center if they applied. What the hell has Dennis Casey been doing the past year? What has the Lee board done to help the community keep health services in the town?
[Keith: I could be wrong about this, but I believe the hospital submitted its plan to the state, as required, to convert from a full hospital to an “urgent care center” — meaning, no ER, no inpatient beds, just outpatient services. At the same time, the hospital’s been lobbying at the state level to remain open as a full-service hospital. The state money is only for the costs of converting to “urgent care”. Lee’s conversion plan has not been publicly approved by the state. The state, in turn, is waiting to see if these merger/cooperation talks pan out. At least, that’s what I believe is happening here. If I’m wrong, somebody please drop a comment here and refresh my lousy memory. – Dave Bullard.]
What an embarrassment. This man represents us in the State Senate? We are in big trouble.
There goes Senator Darrell again! First he bumbles into hiring his sister or was it his sister-in-law (or both) in violation of an ethics law that he signed as an Assemblyman. Then he bumbles around Albany entering into an alliance with other minority Demo senators (like who cares?). And, now, he’s bumbling into the Lee Memorial Hospital problem without really knowing what he’s getting into — what with all the parochial and unrealistic shuffling about that has been going on with the Lee Hospital management and board. When is everyone going to stop in their tracks and realize that the Berger Commission decision is a done deal? Make the best deal we can and get on with life!
The only reason this possibility is even open today is because of Sen. Aubertine as the administrators of Lee Memorial pointed out in less biased news outlets. It is unfortunate that instead of moving ahead to save our hospital, Bellow is engaging in articles like this that slow the process down.
IF THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT A L LEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CLOSES , FOLKS WILL DIE. ( ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER DURING LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENTS.)
I do not mind seeing the ER Close, It is a very sorry excuse for Emergency Treatment But the Nurses were Wonderful People while i was a admitted Patient.
I think that there is a lot of horn blowing going on long before they make up their minds about the hospital.Oswego had the chance years ago to merge and both sides didn’t make it it happen.It looks like the heat is on to do something in a hurry and there are plenty of people standing in line to get in the limelight if all goes well.I think Mr.Aubertine is the first in line to take credit for it all because he is running again in the fall.The past Mayor Hayden tried to get the ball rolling but didn’t get much help from our Lazy Reps in Albany and now it’s getting crunch time.
If this goes in our hospitals favor it will be because of the hard work of the people at the hospital and many many people from the Fulton area that took time to e-mail,send letters, make phone calls and sign petitions to keep the hospital going.Mr.Aubertine has most likely done some things in the deal but the ball was rolling long before he came on the secene.
Most credit has to go to the hospital workers,staff and patients and above all to the people of our area.
Thanks to all of you for the efforts,if it goes well for the hospital you are the ones that will get credit and not someone to steped into the picture late in the game.
The facts are undeniable. It was a desperate grab for attention – and credit – by Aubertine. No matter what eventually happens, his involvement will be irrelevant.