Nursing Home and Hospital workers across Upstate New York are being forced to do more with less at their jobs because of the decreases Medicare funding has suffered in recent years. Now, as the devastating “sequester” cuts loom before us, 1199SEIU members are speaking up for their residents, patients, co-workers, and employers by telling their stories and urging their local legislators to vote against any proposed cuts to Medicare.



On February 20, Richard Coromato and Diane Chamoun from Masonic Care Community in Utica, and Jeffrey Agan and Tanya Buell from Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, met with a staff member at Congressman Hanna’s office to talk about the devastating effect more cuts to Medicare would mean for their facilities. They wanted to make it clear to the Congressman that if these cuts go through, stressed rural facilities caring for the ever-aging and higher needs of their communities will be forced to do it with less resources and staff, and the quality of patient care will fall.



Following their plea for Medicare, the 1199SEIU members from Community Memorial Hospital had additional concerns they wanted to address with the Congressman concerning the interest Bassett Hospital from Cooperstown has shown in opening a satellite facility in Hamilton. Jeffrey Agan, a maintenance worker at CMH, thinks Bassett is trying to get revenge on Community Memorial for deciding to partner with Crouse in Syracuse instead of them. “Do we really need another x-ray or urgent care in this little community? No. We don’t need to duplicate these services; they are just trying to run us out.” Tanya Buell, a housekeeper in the ER agrees. “This is a good hospital and we provide good care. Why bring in another hospital and ruin a good thing?” Jeff and Tanya requested that Congressman Hanna call the administrator at Bassett and tell them to step away from this deal. “It’s bad for the hospital and it’s bad for the community,” Agan said.



The 1199 members from Masonic Care Community also had a request for Hanna. They asked that the Congressman write a letter in support of Masonic being granted additional assisted living beds by the state to go in Wiley Hall. “Masonic’s reputation for (quality) care draws people from all over the country,” Richard Coromato a driver at Masonic noted, “Wiley Hall is key to this reputation. It should be expanded.” Diane Chamoun also recognized the need for more assisted living beds in Utica, “The people in our society need a place to live. They need a place to be. This is a very safe place, I know, I’ve been here 36 years.”