Letter to NYSDOH
April 7, 2008
Richard F. Daines, M.D.
Commissioner,
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)
Re:
ability to provide quality care to patients during a strike
Dear Commissioner Daines,
We are writing this letter to request your intervention concerning a matter of public health in our community. This is about people’s lives — their quality of life and quality health care.
It is about the health care of the patients at the Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and
Most importantly, it is about our neighborhood and community. As this 400 bed institution is a large facility by
As we write this letter, we are approaching almost 48 days that these actions have been allowed to continue in a facility that receives public funding for most if not all of its mission. Our community needs to know how your agency is handling this situation. In particular, please provide us with a report and/or hearing on:
1. Increased inspections during this period of apparently untrained personnel working in the KHRCC;
2. Medical and Criminal Investigation Policy and Procedures for hiring personnel to work in the health care facility, and whether or not each replacement worker has been properly vetted with written records for each one;
3. Number of Deaths by month for the past six months and the same for the year prior.
4. Actual census count of beds used for the past six months and the same for the year prior.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We will be contacting your office in a few days.
Sincerely,
FIPNA VP FIPNA VP FIPNA President
C:
Hon. David A. Patterson,
Hon. Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Attorney General
Hon. Thomas P. DiNapoli,
Hon. Jeffrey Dinowitz, Member of Assembly, 81 AD, Chair, Aging Committee
Hon. Richard N. Gottfried, Member of Assembly, 75 AD, Chair, Health Committee
Hon. M. Patricia Smith, NYS Department of Labor Commissioner
Hon. James G. Sheehan, NYS Medicaid Inspector General

THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REALLY NEEDS TO STEP UP THEIR MONITORING LEVELS TO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBILITY OF IMMINENT DANGER THE RESIDENTS MAY BE EXPOSED TO DUE TO LACK OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. THESE RESIDENTS ARE ENTITLED TO BE CARED FOR IN THE WAY TO WHICH THEY WERE ACCUSTOMED TO. IT IS EVIDENT THAT MANY OF THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE CURRENT CARE THEY ARE RECEIVING, AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE MANY PICTURES OF RESIDENTS CRYING, WAVING AND TALKING AT THE WINDOWS TO THE PICKETERS OUTSIDE. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE AND QUICKLY, BEFORE ANYTHING UNTOWARD HAPPENS……..