The Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow The State Legislature plans to approve a restructuring of the board governing NUMC on Wednesday, taking control away from County Executive Bruce Blakeman and giving it to Gov Kathy Hochul.Credit: Newsday/J Conrad Williams Jr
ByYancey Royyancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroyUpdated May 7, 2025
ALBANY — The State Legislature approved a restructuring of the board governing troubled Nassau University Medical Center on Wednesday, taking control from County Executive Bruce Blakeman and giving it to Gov Kathy Hochul As previously reported by Newsday, the new board will include seven appointments from Hochul and Democrats, and four from Blakeman and Republicans Notably, the governor — not the county executive — shall name the board chair
New appointments could be made as soon as June 1 It also gives oversight to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority and calls for a comprehensive study, including public input, about the long-term viability of NUMC to be submitted by Dec 1, 2026 WHAT NEWSDAY FOUNDThe State Legislature approved a restructuringof the board governing troubled Nassau University Medical Center on Wednesday, taking control from County Executive Bruce Blakeman and giving it to Gov
Kathy Hochul.The new board will include seven appointmentsfrom Hochul and Democrats, and four from Blakeman and Republicans The governor — not the county executive — shall name the board chair.It also gives oversight to the Nassau Interim Finance Authorityand calls for a comprehensive study about the long-term viability of NUMC to be submitted by Dec 1, 2026 The NUMC provisions were included in a bill covering health programs as part of an overall state budget
The State Senate and Assembly approved the health bill Wednesday evening Get the latest breaking news as it happens By clicking Sign up, you agree to ourprivacy policy “There has been significant mismanagement at NUMC over a period of years,” Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper said Wednesday
“The state attempted to work cooperatively with Nassau on a solution That offer was declined and now it’s the state’s responsibility to ensure NUMC succeeds going forward.”
Nassau Health Care Corp., the entity that runs the hospital, is more than $500 million in debt and asked for a state bailout a year ago Last fall,Hochul’s administration began talkswith Blakeman and NIFA, which monitors county and NHCC finances, on a possible long-term strategy to put the hospital in better financial position But Blakeman and NUMC in January launchedan advertising campaignblaming Hochul for the hospital’s problems and filing a lawsuit claiming state government has shortchanged NUMC in state aid by $1 billion
Blakeman’s office didn’t immediately return a call to comment NuHealth board chair Irina Gelman, a Blakeman appointee, said in a statement: “The state’s hostile takeover of Nassau County’s only public safety-net hospital is unprecedented, immoral and dangerous.” She later added: “The notion that a state appointed board would have a higher rate of success in managing this critical care facility from Albany is a logical fallacy …”
Source: Newsday_Com
