Latest news with #NassauCounty
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NUMC claims financial turnaround in 11th hour push against Hochul, state takeover
Nassau University Medical officials said the once financially challenged hospital doesn't need the state to step in because it has turned things around and is on track to net an $11 million profit this year. NUMC was once nearly $200 million in the red, but leaders are pushing back against a possible state takeover by touting major gains in patient care, national safety ratings, and expanded community health services. Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget deal with state lawmakers includes an agreement that could strip local control from the hospital board of directors and install a new state-run board, a move NUMC officials call unnecessary and 'politically motivated.' The language of the proposed changes have yet to be finalized though bugdet related bills can come to vote as early as this week, sources said. Hospital CEO Meg Ryan says thanks, but no thanks. Ryan, who joined the hospital's staff as CEO in 2024, doesn't believe a state takeover is necessary anymore, citing an operational and financial 180. 'Beyond finances, we've elevated patient care, earning improved national safety ratings, recertification with the Joint Commission's Gold Seal, and reaffirmation as a Level One Trauma Center, while expanding clinical services and launching a mobile mammography center to serve thousands of women annually,' Ryan told The Post in a statement. She said NUMC has seen a dramatic turnaround in recent years, taking a hospital that residents once avoided and upgrading it into a state-of-the-art medical facility — now home to a level-one trauma center, Nassau's only burn unit and hyperbaric chamber, primary care offices, dentists, and more. However, allegations of fraud and fiscal mismanagement ringing in from both sides sparked a federal investigation — with NUMC's recently fired chairman, Matthew Bruderman, blowing the whistle on an alleged scam he claims to have uncovered where the state was withholding funds from the hospital in an elaborate scheme that has overshadowed the hospital's improvements. On Wednesday, nearly 300 workers and supporters rallied outside the East Meadow hospital, demanding Hochul remove any language related to a state takeover budget, and invited the governor for a tour to see the turnaround for herself. Hospital leaders like Marissa Plotkins, the director of special projects, organized the rally to send a message to the governor that a state takeover is not needed or wanted — calling the language in the budget 'sneaky business,' and claiming the state is attempting to close the hospital with this move. However, The Civil Service Employees Association — the union representing most hospital staff — recently wrote a letter to members supporting Hochul's plans. The union said a new board of directors is needed, calling the claims that the state wants the hospital to fail 'bogus.' The union also said that NuHealth, the public benefit company that runs the hospital, is nearly $500 million in debt to the state, which hospital leaders denied — calling the union's support for the state's takeover 'treasonous' to the hospital. Meanwhile, Hochul believes she is setting out to do what is best for the patients in Nassau. 'NUMC leadership continues its bizarre PR campaign based on ridiculous lies and scare tactics. The amount of time and resources they have spent on this foolishness is absurd,' Hochul's Long Island press secretary, Gordon Tepper, told The Post. 'The state's focus at NUMC remains on patient care and the hospital's fiscal stability. That's all that matters — everything else is just noise.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NUMC CEO and 9 other hospital leaders resign in protest over Hochul's ‘hostile takeover'
At least 10 hospital executives from Nassau University Medical Center, including its CEO, have put in their resignations in response to what they called a 'hostile takeover' by Gov. Kathy Hochul, according to sources in the hospital. CEO Meg Ryan confirmed to The Post that she and other leaders in the hospital have resigned effective in July, so that they can help oversee the hospital board's transition, she revealed. '[New York State] has made it very clear that they do not want me to be in the CEO role,' Ryan told The Post about her decision to step down. 'It was the hardest decision I had to make in my career.' Besides Ryan, at least nine other top officials made the decision to resign, including the hospital's chief medical, nursing, human resources, and information officers, as well as senior leaders in pharmacy, facilities, finance, and special projects. She and other executives told The Post that since the state budget passed earlier this month — which included language that allows the state to appoint seven board members to NUMC, with 6 directly picked by the governor — morale among leadership has been depleted. With seven board members out of 11 being hand-picked by the state, Ryan and other hospital leaders have said this completely shifts the power balance. But despite the transition being just days away, Ryan told The Post that the state has kept NUMC's leadership in the dark and has not provided any information on who they're appointing and how the new model will work. 'It's kind of bizarre, this is supposed to be happening in 48 hours and we have no idea who is on the board,' Ryan explained. Hospital leaders said the state's silence during the transition is deafening, and they are now convinced once Gov. Hochul inserts her own board members, which is slated to happen Sunday, everything is going to change. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Grace Ting and others said they resigned because they believe the new board would strip existing leadership of any real influence — and potentially push to convert the facility into a dedicated mental health hospital, a claim the governor's office has denied. 'Hochul wanted control at all costs and now she will have it, but they're going to lose a lot of great people because of this and it's a real shame,' a source familiar with the situation said. Although the state has repeatedly denied these claims, documents obtained by The Post revealed a letter that NUMC received from the state's Department of Health, signed by Gov. Hochul, in March 2024 that said the hospital's current model was financially unsustainable and specifically recommended it cut staff and be converted into a 120-bed behavioral health facility. That letter concluded that in order for NUMC to be financially stable, it would have to eliminate general medical services and transform into a psychiatric facility. The letter also slammed the hospital's leadership for rejecting the recommendation and failing to submit any alternative turnaround plan — all while the hospital's parent company, Nassau Health Care Corp., lost more than $500 million over five years. Ryan, however, argued those numbers are outdated and don't reflect the hospital's current trajectory, and said since taking the helm in early 2024, NUMC has clawed its way back from a nearly $200 million deficit and is now on track to turn an $11 million profit this year. She said that the state is now using outdated numbers to justify a power grab, meanwhile, there is a federal probe into claims made by former Chairman Matthew Bruderman the state was robbing the hospital of over $1 billion dollars in a span of two decades. Gov. Hochul's office said an announcement on the hospital board will be made in the coming days, but declined to comment further. 'Due to years of gross mismanagement, NUMC is in financial peril. I don't know what parallel universe she's living in,' Hochul's Long Island press secretary, Gordon Tepper told The Post. 'The state's focus at NUMC remains on patient care and the hospital's fiscal stability. That's all that matters — everything else is just noise,' Tepper said earlier this month.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nassau County holds Memorial Day tributes to fallen troops with parade, moment of silence: ‘Say a prayer for them'
Nassau County paused in solemn tribute this Memorial Day honoring Long Island's fallen troops with a county-wide moment of silence, a patriotic parade, and heartfelt words from veterans and elected officials alike. County Executive Bruce Blakeman, alongside members of the county legislature — spoke to a crowd of roughly 150 people in Glen Cove Monday afternoon, honoring the area's historic veteran population for the third year in a row. 'This is the day where we remember those who died in the line of duty defending our country,' Blakeman told The Post. 'Say a prayer for them, for their soul, for their families.' Veterans and civilian residents alike came to the ceremony to honor those who gave their life for the country. Michael Renga, a 17-year-old high school student from Glen Cove who was rocking a full-blown American Flag suit jacket, said the county's celebration is important to him and his 'patriot family.' 'We enjoy this weekend for being the unofficial start to summer, but these ceremonies are important so we can reflect on what the day truly means and how much sacrifice has gone into protecting the freedoms that we have,' Renga, whose grandfather served in World War II, told The Post. But the day means more to those who served — like Howard Stillwagon, a disabled combat veteran who fought in Vietnam. 'I saw about 20 soldiers get killed over in my time in the jungle,' Stillwagon solemnly remembered. 'It really bothered me to see them in a bag going home to their families.' 'It's a party day full of barbeques, but you have to stop and think of the guys that sacrificed their lives.' After the ceremony, Stillwagon led his troop of local combat veterans in the city's parade alongside Blakeman down Glen Cove's Main Street — where businesses were offering deals and specials after the march. A second county-wide moment of silence was scheduled for 6 p.m. later that day, alerting residents with church bells and fire alarms from departments and houses of worship all over Nassau.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Washington Post
Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting
MINEOLA, N.Y. — A former New York state trooper pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he shot himself then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, prompting a regionwide search. Thomas Mascia agreed to serve six months in jail, followed by five months of probation and continued mental health treatment as he formally changed his not guilty plea during a court appearance in Nassau County court in Mineola.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Associated Press
Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges that he shot himself then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway, prompting a regionwide search. Thomas Mascia agreed to serve six months in jail, followed by five months of probation and continued mental health treatment as he formally changed his not guilty plea during a court appearance in Nassau County court in Mineola. He also agreed, as part of his plea deal, to pay $289,000 in restitution for the overtime costs for officers during the three-day search for a nonexistent suspect. Mascia will be sentenced Aug. 20. The West Hempstead resident had been charged with official misconduct, tampering with evidence and falsifying documents. He became a trooper in 2019 and resigned after being suspended without pay while state police launched a criminal investigation into the shooting. Mascia's parents, Dorothy and Thomas, were also expected to plead guilty Wednesday to firearms charges. Mascia claimed he was shot in the leg on Oct. 30 by a driver parked on the shoulder of the Southern State Parkway, about a mile from his home. The shooting prompted a massive search as the trooper said the suspect, who he claimed was a 'dark-skinned' man, fled in a car bearing temporary New Jersey plates heading toward New York City. Instead, prosecutors say, Mascia shot himself in a local park, stashed the gun, drove to the highway and called for backup. They say the ruse was an apparent bid to gain attention and sympathy. Jeffrey Lichtman, Mascia's lawyer, didn't immediately comment. He previously said the former trooper, who resigned in January after his arrest, has been suffering from 'untreated mental health issues' for years. Mascia had appeared in court earlier this month to change his plea, but the judge at the time halted the proceedings after the former trooper said he did not feel well mentally and was receiving treatment.
