SYRACUSE, NY— In a virtual roundtable hosted by the Healthcare Association of New York State, U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today joined hospitals from across Central New York to discuss local COVID-19 vaccine distribution and supply issues.
Katko was joined by representatives from SUNY Upstate Medical University, Crouse Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health, Oswego Health, and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital.
To support Central New York hospitals and frontline providers during the pandemic, Katko supported passage of COVID-19 relief legislation which provided millions of dollars in direct relief for hospitals and helped address shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), test kits, ventilators, and other essential supplies.
Most recently, Katko supported passage of relief legislation to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and spoke directly with Dr. Anthony Fauci to highlight the severe vaccine supply shortages in Central New York.
During today’s roundtable, local hospital administrations discussed continued challenges as medical supply shortages remain, demand for vaccines far outpaces supply, and limited notice of vaccine distributions hinders their ability to administer vaccines efficiently.
To address these concerns, Katko vowed to continue to work with federal, state, and local officials and champion efforts in Congress that provide support for healthcare providers and improve the vaccine rollout.
“Today, I was glad to continue my dialogue with hospitals administrators from across Central New York to assess their needs and offer my support in Congress as we continue working to help our community emerge from this pandemic. On the call, we discussed PPE and supply issues, as well as issues with our local vaccine rollout effort,” Katko said. “Our community is incredibly grateful to Central New York hospitals and healthcare providers for the sacrifices they made to protect and care for us during this pandemic. And in Congress, I pledge to continue working to provide them with the support and resources they deserve.”
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