OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg City Council is again calling on the state and North Star Health Alliance and the Department of Health to strike a deal that could help the hundreds of employees who lost their jobs earlier this week.
On Monday the company announced it would cut 120 jobs between the Ogdensburg and Carthage campuses.
The payments were intended to support the hospital’s restructuring into a critical access hospital and safety-net model.
State officials have attributed the delay to spending disclosure concerns, saying the department has requested more detailed tracking of funds already issued. They have repeatedly blamed administrators for failing to provide requested documents. Meanwhile Duvall maintains the hospital has been working to fulfill all requests from the Department of Health.
Although discussions over the past few weeks had seemed to be moving in the right direction, things appeared to have taken a step backwards following a meeting held last week.
Hope that the VAPAP funding would flow in time to save jobs fell short of reality on Monday, when the announcement of cuts came.
Regardless of where the blame falls, the impact on the community is crippling.
North Country This Week has received multiple calls since Monday regarding deteriorating conditions at the hospital. Former employees and patients have reported the hospital is functioning with minimal supplies. The paper has been unable to confirm these claims, but a call for clarification on the conditions was not returned this morning.
The situation has raised concerns about access to healthcare for Ogdensburg-area residents as well as the impact on the economy and community. Despite Governor Kathy Hochul’s healthcare focused agenda, the state does not appear to be stepping in to help at this time. The Department of Health has been largely quiet on the matter, but says they will continue to work with North Star to support the continuity of care in the community.
Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley is hoping that fruitful talks will take place soon.
“This past Monday’s announcement by Richard Duvall, President and CEO of North Star Health Alliance, that 120 of its employees, at least half of whom work at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, have been laid off is devastating news to the citizens of Ogdensburg and residents of our neighboring communities. As stated in December, City Council’s primary concern about this matter is how it affects the people of Ogdensburg. Our residents depend on CHMC every day for emergency care, outpatient services, specialty services, and the security of having a hospital close to home. Losing access to any of these services constitutes a significant hardship to our citizens,” he said in a prepared statement Wednesday.
“City government especially expresses our concern for those employees directly affected by this decision, those who are losing their jobs. The negative impact on these loyal, dedicated employees and their families cannot be overstated. City Council continues to strongly urge all parties – hospital leadership, state officials and North Star Health Alliance – to set aside differences and deliver a solution that ensures CHMC’s future, protects the health and safety of our community, and hopefully reverses the actions announced (Monday).”