• A Message from Jim O'Connor
• Testimony to the
  Rightsizing Committee
• Berger Commission News
• Senator LaValle
  Supports St. Charles
• Doctor calls Berger Commission's
  recommendations 'dangerous'
• Port Jefferson Resolution
• Senate Confirms Daines
  as NY's Helath Commissioner
• The Maryhaven Letter
• Email Talking Points
• Your St. Charles Story

Berger Commission News

• Department of Health (DOH) Delivers Good News to St. Charles
  St. Charles Hospital has been informed that the Office of Mental Health (OMH) has given the Department of Health (DOH) formal notification that the exchange of 37 medical/surgical beds from St. Charles to Mather Hospital and 37 behavioral health beds from Mather to St. Charles, as recommended by the Berger Commission, will not be supported by the OMH and therefore will not happen.
  
  In accordance with the DOH deadline, St. Charles submitted their alternate plan to the Berger recommendations on Friday, June 29. In the alternate plan, St. Charles addresses their objection to the recommendations for closing the Emergency Department and an additional 77 medical/surgical beds. The Plan also offers alternatives that are within the spirit and intention of the recommendations, yet leave St. Charles with a clinical mix of services that provide a sound financial future.
• St. Charles meets with the Department of Health
  Representatives from St. Charles Hospital and Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHSLI) have had the opportunity to meet with the Department of Health (DoH) as well as the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the State Education Department to discuss the Berger Commission recommendations for St. Charles. The meeting with the Department of Health and the State Education Department was arranged with the assistance of Senator Kenneth P. LaValle’s office. The DoH and the State Department of Education have expressed a keen interest in assisting St. Charles in the development of a business plan that will help meet the intent of the Berger Commission recommendations, yet preserve a clinical mix of services that will insure the future financial viability of the hospital. Currently, senior leadership from both St. Charles and CHSLI are developing a plan to present to the DoH by the end of June, 2007. Additionally a document, addressing patient safety issues and financial and regulatory concerns that arise from the proposed Berger recommendations, is near completion and will be presented to the Department of Health along with the plan.
• Telecare
  View the Telecare show, "Everyday Faith Live," aired on May 11, 2007. Host, Fr. Jim Vlaun, dedicated a 10 minutes segment of his show to interviewing St. Charles Hospital Executive Vice President, James O’Connor, and the President of the Medical Staff, David Paul, M.D. on the Berger Commission recommendations and what they mean for St. Charles. Telecare also has a Public Service Announcement from St. Charles that you can view here.
  
  Coming Soon…A half hour show on Telecare that that highlights the Berger recommendations and what they mean for the St. Charles Hospital, the communities the Hospital serves and the local economy. The issues will be addressed by local legislators, business leaders and St. Charles Hospital’s medical staff.
• The St. Charles Hospital medical leadership has allocated $50,000 of Medical Staff dues to support St. Charles in it's fight against the Berger Commission recommendations. This fund is already being used constructively with the hiring of a strategic business consultant with 20+ years experience advocating on behalf of vital Long Island issues. Mr. Desmond Ryan, Executive Director of the Association For A Better Long Island, will assist St. Charles in Berger related discussions with State health officials.
• St. Charles Administration met in late March with the Suffolk County Office of Mental Hygiene and the NYS Offices of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to discuss Berger recommendations. As we know, Berger impacts on our Alcohol Rehab unit as well as St. Charles Pediatric and Adult clinics for the developmentally disabled. More discussions will take place, but these agencies expressed significant concern the implementation of Berger would result in patient disruption and serious consequences for under-served populations. These agencies continue to assist St. Charles in putting forth a "Patient First" plan, which makes sense.
• In a recent meeting with the Department of Health, CHS representatives were advised that there are "two hospitals" in New York State where Berger Commission recommendations do not make sense and actually violate State regulations. St. Charles was identified as one of those hospitals. Follow up discussions with the Department of Health have been scheduled for early May.