WPCNR'S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. March 8, 2005: We all deserve quality health care and we must preserve our ability to care for those in need. In the past, I have worked to bolster health care funding and pass legislation vital to our every day medical care. During this legislative session and throughout state budget negotiations, health care will be at the top of my priority list.

I have recently introduced bipartisan legislation to help study and eventually prevent deaths caused by hospital-related infections (A.5813) by requiring hospitals to report their hospital-acquired infection rates to the Department of Health four times a year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 90,000 people die annually as a result of infections contracted in hospitals – 7,000 deaths here in New York alone, according to the Center for Medical Consumers.

On top of the dangerous health risks, the Committee to Reduce Infectious Deaths estimates a serious hospital-related infection can add an average of $57,000 to a patient’s hospital bill, which also contributes to rising insurance premiums. Currently, hospitals are required to report unexpected deaths and infection outbreaks to the DOH, but the agency does not track deaths caused specifically by infections.

Along with gathering more information, we must take new technology by the reins and march forward into a new era of medical treatment. That is why I am supporting legislation announced last week by the Assembly majority to promote stem cell research in New York State. Biotechnology is a vital part of today’s economy. Our plan would fund stem cell research through the new Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) beginning July 1, 2006. This year $100,000,000 would be allocated, growing to $200,000,000 in the second year of the two-year HCRA cycle.

The plan creates the New York State Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, which would support the treatment of chronic degenerative diseases. Human stem cell research could lead to new treatments, prevention methods and even potential cures for many debilitating diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injuries and diabetes. It is time that New York be a part of this exciting new branch of medical research.

Assisted living facilities: Know your rights

Assisted living facilities are most often an excellent way for seniors to maintain their independence while gaining access to necessary medical care. Unfortunately, some of these unregulated facilities can do more harm than good. It is crucial that our most vulnerable citizens are protected from such poor quality of care.

Fortunately, a new law that I sponsored, known as the Assisted Living Reform Act, works to protect the health and well-being of seniors by requiring state oversight and licensing of assisted living facilities. The law went into effect February 23 (Ch. 2 of 2004).

      The Assisted Living Reform Act requires public disclosures and sets forth a clear set of consumer rights, which:

·        require each facility to clearly post resident rights;

·        require the execution of a written residency agreement with each resident;

·        set guidelines regarding the management of a resident’s money and property;

·        require facilities to assist in the development and operation of resident and family councils; set uniform guidelines for the admission, discharge and transfer of residents; and

·        establishes a uniform licensing procedure for assisted living facilities through the state Department of Health

      Hospitals and nursing homes under attack

      As I have mentioned in a previous column, Governor George Pataki has introduced a budget that would devastate Westchester County’s hospitals and nursing homes. He is using health care funding as a tool in budget negotiations putting quality health care at risk. Having seen Westchester hospitals on life support and watching them close, we know all too well what is at stake.

      According to the Healthcare Education Project, a joint initiative of the Greater New York Hospital Association and 1199 SEIU, hospitals and nursing homes in Westchester County stand to lose more than $25.5 million in the governor’s budget. Here is how his budget would impact facilities in and around my district:

·        Westchester Medical Center                                  - $9.5 million

·        White Plains Hospital Center                                  - $1.1 million

·        Northern Westchester Hospital                              - $729,271

·        Burke Rehabilitation Hospital                                 - $457,179

·        Four Winds, Inc.                                                       - $254,124

·        St. Mary’s Rehabilitation Center for Children       - $142,000

Without proper funding, how can we maintain the health care we need for our families? I intend to fight these draconian cuts, which we can ill afford.

We must protect our hospitals, assisted living facilities, and enhance medical research   As session progresses, I believe we can move forward and celebrate new achievements in medicine. It is our responsibility to ensure the health care of our community remains available, vibrant and groundbreaking. We must not allow our community’s health care to flat line.

Adam T. Bradley

89th Assembly District