Treger, Reynoso Present $5 M To NYC Health + Hospitals WoodHull For Emergency Room Expansion
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst) and Antonio Reynoso (D-Williamsburg,Bushwick) and New York City Council Hospitals Committee Chair Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan) yesterday announced plans for an expansion and renovation of the NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull emergency department to improve access to services, alleviate overcrowding, reduce wait times and improve the patient experience.
The expansion project will be fully funded by a $5 million capital allocation from the New York City Council’s Brooklyn Delegation and is expected to be completed the first quarter of 2020.The Emergency Department (ED) expansion will add 5,000 square feet of space that will include 16 additional exam rooms, a new and improved state of the art nurse’s station, a new isolation room and a “transition hub”, where patients who are being discharged from the ED are linked to a primary care or specialty service follow up visit, can receive consultation regarding their medications, and access care management services.
The NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull Emergency Department has 18,700 square feet and was originally built to provide treatment up to 65,000 patients a year. Last year, the hospital in Fiscal Year 2017 provided treatment for 107,424 patients which is approximately 40 percent above the original capacity.
The $5 million allocation will also cover the purchase of new medical equipment, including stretchers, portable EKG machines, telemetry monitors, vital sign paraphernalia and ventilators.
“New Yorkers depend on our public hospital system, and I am proud that we are making progress in strengthening this critical social safety net. I am excited that in my capacity as Brooklyn Delegation co-chair, I have helped in securing this significant $5 million investment for an expansion and upgrade of the Emergency Department at Woodhull Hospital, increasing access to a better level of care for local residents,” said Treyger.
“Woodhull Hospital is a lifeline for many residents throughout my district. By funding necessary upgrades and improvements to hospital facilities and equipment, this allocation will enable the hospital to provide even greater care to a broader range of patients,” said Reynoso.
Persaud’s Domestic Violence Survivor’s Justice Act, Passes Senate
State Senator Roxanne Persaud’s (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) Domestic Violence Survivor’s Justice Act (DVSJA) was passed by the New York State Senate yesterday.
The legislation allows judges in New York to sentence male and female victims of domestic violence who are convicted of a crime to lesser prison time — determinate or indeterminate — if the defendant was largely influenced by their abuse at the time of the offense. It also adds the option of community-based alternative-to incarceration programs and gives eligible survivors currently in prison the opportunity to apply for re-sentencing.
Currently, the state’s criminal justice system does not allow judges’ discretion in taking into account the impact of domestic violence when determining sentence lengths. The first version of the DVSJA was introduced in 2011; its current version in 2015. Senator Persaud has sponsored the bill since 2017.
Beyond relieving countless wrongfully incarcerated men and women — 9 out of 10 of whom have been physically or sexual abused and who usually have no prior criminal records or history of violence and extremely low recidivism rates — New York would also save taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars every year under this legislation.
It costs about $43,000 per year to incarcerate a person in state prison, while the alternative — community-based programs — amount to around $11,000 (in New York City), according to the Senator’s office. Additionally, these programs prove to be far more effective than prison by allowing survivors to participate in their communities, heal and remain close with their families, especially if they have children.
“It is due time the criminal justice system stops harshly punishing survivors of domestic violence for defending themselves or their children. The Domestic Violence Survivor’s Justice Act corrects the contradictory injustice victims in New York face and gives second chances to those already wronged by the very system designed to help protect them,” said Persaud.
Simon To Host 4th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day In Albany
Assembly member Jo Anne Simon (D-Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill) will host her 4th and Senator John Brooks (D-Long Island) will host the 4th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day at the State Capitol in Albany this week.
On Thursday, students with dyslexia, parents, educators, and advocates will bring attention to this issue and the need for dyslexia-related legislation.
The event will feature a panel of people with dyslexia, including Helen Foster, Commissioner of the NYS Division of Human Rights, Assembly member Robert Carroll (D-Kensington, Park Slope, windsor Terrace), and others. Guest speakers will also review technology-related services and the importance of addressing dyslexia in schools.
One in five children have dyslexia, a language-based learning disability that makes word recognition, spelling and reading success a difficult task. Bill A5259-A (Simon/Brooks) would establish a pilot program that would provide early screening and intervention services for children with risk factors for dyslexia.
While, bill A6450 (Simon/Brooks) would require that all literacy teachers are trained in the multi-sensory approach and methods to help students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities get the proper attention and education they deserve.
The event is slated for 10 a.m. to 12-noon, Thursday, March 14 at the Capitol Building in Albany.
Rose Applauds Trump Signing Seawall Bill Into Law
Congressman Max Rose (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) applauded President Donald Trump’s signing into law the Natural Resources Management Act, which includes Rose’s legislation to provide a long-term easement of federal lands allowing construction and maintenance for the East Shore Seawall on Staten Island.
Funding for construction of the East Shore Seawall has already been appropriated and authorized by the federal, state, and local governments. Last month, Rose toured the site with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who will be overseeing the development and construction of the project. It is estimated that construction will begin in early 2020 and finish by 2024.
To blunt future storms and prevent flooding along the East Shore, the Army Corps of Engineers have put together various proposals to protect New York City and specifically Staten Island, which involve building a series of levees, barriers, and gates around New York Bay to shield populated areas from storms coming off the Atlantic—including the East Shore Seawall as an integral part of the plan.
“Finally getting the seawall legislation signed into law was a long time coming, but a huge step for so many families along the East Shore,” Rose said.
“Now the real work begins, and I’m going to be working hand in glove with the Army Corps and local community to ensure the seawall is built on-time and with minimal disruption—because these families have been waiting for too long and we need to make sure this is done right,” added Rose.
Former NYS Assembly Speaker Mel Miller Dies
Mel Miller a former speaker of the New York state Assembly died last week at the age of 79, according to the Times Union.
The Brooklyn Democrat died Friday in Manhattan. His widow Elizabeth Miller tells The New York Times that the cause of death was complications from lung cancer.
Miller served in the Assembly for 21 years and was speaker for five years before being expelled in 1991 after he was convicted of defrauding legal clients. The conviction was overturned on appeal in 1993. Afterward, Miller went on to work as a lobbyist for many years.
He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren. Services were held on Tuesday in New York City.
