Major surgery recommended: State commission calls for massive shrinking of hospital system, affecting nearly half of LI's health-care facilities and three nursing homes.

Publication: Newsday (Melville, NY)

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COPYRIGHT 2006 Newsday

Byline: Ridgely Ochs

Nov. 29--From downsizing Nassau University Medical Center to forming an alliance among East End hospitals, a state commission has made recommendations that could dramatically affect nearly half the hospitals on Long Island.

From downsizing Nassau University Medical Center to forming an alliance among East End hospitals, a state commission has made recommendations that could dramatically affect nearly half the hospitals on Long Island.

The Commission on Health Care in the 21st Century, created by Gov. George Pataki and the State Legislature to streamline the state's struggling hospital system, released its report yesterday calling for the closing of nine hospitals statewide -- including five in New York City -- and the reconfiguring of another 48. No Long Island hospitals were recommended for closing, but nine of them would undergo major restructuring or downsizing of 300 beds -- or 4 percent of all local hospital beds -- if the report is accepted. The commission also recommended cutting 773 beds at three nursing homes on Long Island. "The system is broken. You can patch and patch it or fix it," declared commission chairman Stephen Berger. Although many of the hospitals on Long Island had already begun to make changes recommended by the commission, the report, if accepted, will have the force of law. It now goes to Pataki, who has until Tuesday to reject it or pass it on to the...

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