Transcript: Mayor Adams Makes Announcement and Delivers Remarks at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

January 5, 2022

Video available at: https://youtu.be/SNbnmpP4UWc

Mayor Eric Adams: I am going to break a rule. I'm just going to go off script for one moment because we are in the borough of Queens and so I would love for our amazing Queens Borough president to sort of-in-greet us and invite us to do this on behalf of this great borough of Queens. Donovan Richards.  

[Applause]  

[…]  

Mayor: Thank you, thank you so much and appreciate it. We were here about two years ago, speaking at the Black History Month program, and it was a great event. And as we walked in you stood and gave us an applaud. You don't stand for us we stand for you. And I'm clear on that no matter where we go. And you know people say all the time this is a difficult job, being a mayor of the City of New York, but I want this job, I want this job so badly because I know that when you are a person that has gone through a lot, you can help people who are going through a lot and that is what many of you know. I remember over COVID, in the beginning this hospital and watching you, Francisco on the ground every day watching, just struggling to get the services that were needed here. And I was just really honored to come here and assist. But you should be commended for what you did and really sent the message out how these communities were suffering in those beginning days from testing to PPEs to supplies. But you remained here, and you were steadfast. And I thank you, on behalf of the people of Queens in the City of New York for what you do during that period of time.  

[Applause]  

And Dr. Moshirpur, you know, 51 years. 

[Applause] 

51 years. 

[Applause] 

You know, that the amount of lives that you have saved and inspired, and you know, children delivered, you are just a real New York City, icon and hero. And so, we really thank you for those 51 years of services to this community. Started off with one programmer, or one service now you've expanded so much, you know, as we would say, in South Jamaica, Queens, your big time, you know.  

[Laughter]  

But we thank you. And today we're speaking to all New Yorkers. We're clear that these last few weeks have been hard. But more than that, these last few years and with full of fear, fatigue, and uncertainty, and we're all tired. I know that and I see it every day. I see it on the faces of people, but medical professionals will tell you that the recovery of when you're dealing with an ailment is not only a physical recovery, but it's a mental recovery. The climate that you're in, how you treat it, how people engage with you, helped you, that positive energy is so important. And we must instill that positive energy here in Queens and throughout the city. I saw it last night when I was at Woodhall Hospital, with other medical professionals, and how as much as they're going through, they were energized to help people to get through this period. And our healthcare heroes have been working long hours, countless number of days, times away from their family, but they were committed and dedicated, and they're clear, we are going to beat back COVID. We're not going to succumb or allow our lives to be defined by COVID, we're going to be stronger than ever, when we cycle out of this period. And I'm clear on that. That's why we're here today at Elmhurst Hospital, here and you right, my hometown the borough of Queens where I grew up from as a child.  

Our administration has one message, getting stuff done. We want to get stuff done. And the entire team is about doing that. And so today, we are announcing a three-point plan to make sure each and every hospital in the City of New York has the resources they need. We want to want them to be fully staffed and provide top quality care, no matter which borough they're in, no matter where they're located. It is needed across the city. New Yorkers deserve that. And we're going to make sure you have the resources to do so. And so, when New Yorkers go to a hospital for care, you must have the services, you must have the support that's needed to provide health care to the greatest city in the world, we must have the greatest healthcare system in the world at the same time. And this is what we're going to do, our plan. We're going to search funds through every part of our healthcare network. We're going to provide financial backstop for hospitals, healthcare staff, essential workers and the entire team that keeps us healthy every day.  

And first, we are announcing a $27 million dollars in loans funding to support our safety net hospitals. Often, we forget about the safety net hospitals, they play a vital role in ensuring that there is a net that people can safely know there's not going to fall through the systems. Those hospitals outside our H +H network have been on frontlines of COVID, and I see it every day as I move throughout the city. The New York City COVID-19 Hospital Loan Fund will make sure they are getting what they need to fight COVID, salaries, protective equipment, testing and vaccine administration and administering vaccines and distribution all over the city. These loans have already funded over 2,400 safety net hospital staff, members serving over 26,000 patients. We want to thank Goldman Sachs. This is a good community corporate partnership. And Goldman Sachs should be commended to make these funds available and we’re calling on other financial institutions to do the same, to make sure that it's not just giving a hand clap when our medical facilities are doing right, but giving them a hand so that they can continue to do the great things with financial hands. Second, we are announcing $111 million immediate support for H + H Hospitals.  

[Applause] 

And these dollars – these dollars are leverage what's already going to be leveraged and part of it is coming from FEMA. When I sat down in Washington, DC, several weeks ago, I learned that a large sum of resources are being returned to the federal government from various states, because they're not drawing down the money fast enough. We are not going to allow that to happen. We're going to make sure every dollar that is located and is directed to the city, we're going to make sure that we use those dollars, we're sending nothing back to Washington DC, we're going to make sure to stay in our city. 

[Applause] 

Public health hospitals have been first line defense against COVID and these dollars will give them the resources that they need from being hit hard with the pandemic. And these funds will support our hospitals addressing staffing shortages, the major issues on our call this morning, our briefing calls, we know about the staffing issues that we are facing, finding the dollars and the money to ensure that we maintain proper staffing in our hospitals. This is crucial, and we're going to do everything possible to ensure this. Pump up baseline staffing, including doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and support workers, and it will increase the overall COVID capacity and how we respond. 

Third, expand staffing and support at Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A part of our ongoing COVID-19 response plan, we want to ensure that the proper staffing is there and the proper support is there. And we know that people are worried about Omicron. We know what it is doing to us, and we know how it has impacted us. But there's only three words I can tell you, we got this New York. We got this. We’re going to get through this crisis. We're going to get through this crisis not only with words, but with support. This is not 2020, this is 2022. There are so many resources we have available, you adjusted, you pivoted, and you shift it based on those early day. We have the right tool to go against the formidable opponent of COVID, vaccinations, booster shots. We need people to be vaccinated and booster shots. We want to encourage all those, particularly those with pre-existing conditions and comorbidities, they must get their booster shots so that they can fellow protect themselves. And I know I hear what people say, Well, I have my vaccination, my booster shot, and I still got COVID. Yes, but for the most part, you're home. You're not in a hospital on a ventilator, it’s because of that vaccination and booster shot, the numbers are clear, you're less likely to be hospitalized. And that's what we must get out there. You're less likely to be hospitalized a burden on your family, to infect your family members, to have our cities closed down instead of recovering. So it's imperative that we encourage people to do that. And then do two simple things mask, wash your hands, social distancing, all the things that brought us to success, we have to continue to success. And so I know and you know, we're going to show the entire globe that this is the greatest city on the globe. I say this over and over again, it's a privilege to be a New Yorker, it’s a privilege to live in this city, and our resiliency and ability to overcome difficult days and difficult times prove why we are New Yorkers.  

And so I want to thank you Elmhurst Hospital, I want to thank the team, the staff, I want to thank you for living up to the real mantra of how of we provide services for our community, particularly in a community like this was heavily English as a second language. You have many brokers that depend on this health care that you provide, and so on behalf of the City of New York, we want to thank you, and let's continue to do what's needed to cyclists through a COVID-19. I want to bring up now my amazing Deputy Mayor, that's here of health. She has just brought a wealth of experience and knowledge and we’re so proud to have her on the team and leading this important initiative, Deputy Mayor Ann – she, I used to call her Annie and she correct me - Anne Williams-Isom, you know, she correct me not, she’s not Annie. 

[Applause] 

Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, Health and Human Services: He got it right. He got it right because he has us working hard. You know how to make it get stuff done? He has a team that gets stuff done. It's only been a couple of day and he came to us and he said he wanted a plan. He wanted a plan that was going to be big and bold, and that he wanted to show all New Yorkers that we were here with them to serve. And so I really want to thank you, Mayor Adams for giving us the resources. We brought the team together, we got it done. They're here, they will say a couple of words. I'm happy to be here. I'm from Queens too. I grew up in Springfield Gardens, Queens.  

[Applause] 

I happen to be born in Long Island Jewish Hospital, I'm not exactly sure why, my mom was the head nurse there at the time. She came from Trinidad and Tobago, and she was able to work at the hospital, and so that's where she had me. So health care and nurses in particular are very close to me. She's 91-years-old now and she's very proud. And my oldest brother was a pediatrician who died a couple of years ago of cancer, again, because we have to get the care that we need. So these issues are important to us. I'm so happy to have Dr. Chokshi here to answer any questions that we may have about this three point plan, getting support to safety net hospitals, making sure that the H+H Hospitals get what they need, and of course, to – the Department of Health, all the supports that they need. So, we are so happy to be here today. I'm so happy to see you and thank you for being on the front lines. And now Dr. Chokshi, I don't know if you'd like to say – the very famous Dr. Chokshi. I don't know, Mayor, did you want to introduce him or is it okay? Okay, good. Okay. Thank you very much, everyone, and thank you, Mr. Mayor, most of all. 

[Applause] 

Commissioner Dave Chokshi, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor, and thank you, Mayor Adams. I'm going to start with just a brief situational update with COVID-19 because we are seeing unprecedented case counts during this Omicron wave. As you know, over 30,000 cases a day on the seven-day average and we are seeing the impact in our hospitals, like Elmhurst, which I'm proud to say is my amazing neighborhood hospital. Overall, COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York City are currently less than half of what they were during our initial spring 2020 Wave, though they have surpassed what we've seen in other waves. When we look at the total COVID and non-COVID census, it has been stable over the past month, about 75 to 80 percent of all hospital beds across New York City are occupied right now and that number we do expect to increase in the coming days. This is why it is so vital for us to surge resources and support to our health care system, particularly to our safety net and H +H Hospitals and continue to support our COVID-19 response during this time. Well also, as the Mayor mentioned, be shoring up our public health infrastructure with 250 critical positions at the health department supporting our COVID-19 response. This includes nurses, laboratory personnel, case investigators, inspectors and data analysts.  

We have a saying in public health that it is often invisible. You may not know the names of the people who work at my department, but they have saved countless lives over the past two years, perhaps including yours. In addition to supporting our city's public hospitals, as the Mayor has mentioned, we're relaunching the hospital loan fund for our safety net hospitals. That's $27 million that will be available to them. Supporting these hospitals is not just about health. It is also about equity, as the Borough President described very eloquently. Black New Yorkers are currently being hospitalized at a rate over 2.5 times that of white New Yorkers, but let's be very clear, the risk factor is racism and not race. New Yorkers of color have borne the brunt of this pandemic due to structural racism, and the legacy of disinvestment in many communities. So, today's announcement is about the Mayor investing in hospitals and neighborhoods, like this one, my own, in order to help redress these historical inequities, and to save lives today. So, finally, I want to stress that there are things that all New Yorkers should do to support our nurses, doctors and other health care workers who are once again coming to the rescue. Vaccinate your child, get your booster dose, wear a high quality mask and look out for those who are more susceptible to severe COVID whether an older adult or someone with a chronic condition. If you're already doing all of these things, I want to sincerely thank you, because you're not just protecting yourself, but also our hospitals and our health workers. Together as the Mayor said, we will weather this Omicron wave and we will build a stronger and long lasting health infrastructure. Thank you so much. 

[Applause] 

Mayor: Want to bring on just someone I have a deep level of respect when it comes down to not only acute injuries but chronic diseases, and I look forward to his leadership at H+H, Dr. Katz. 

President and CEO Mitchell Katz, NYC Health + Hospitals: It's great to be with the Mayor two days in a row, two hospitals that chose his high level of focus and energy around making sure that we get all of the resources that we need, and his announcement of $111 million that's going to pay for us to have additional support staff, doctors, nurses, radiology technicians, microbiologist and all the staff that we need to get through this crisis. I mean, Sir, when we're here at Elmhurst, you'll never find a public hospital with a better medical, nursing, all around staff than here. A hospital more committed, does not exist. This hospital's whole reason for being, its whole sole, its whole mission has been to serve the immigrant communities, the Black and Brown communities, the low income communities, and provide the highest level of care to everyone. And that's what this hospital has always stood for, and, Mr. Mayor, I can tell you that they have been doing that working really hard these last few weeks, we because of on omicron, the way it has hit us - this cycle, very different than some of the other cycles where our number one problem has been, in this cycle, the loss of staff. There's nothing about being a nurse or doctor that makes you immune to Omicron, and many of us have fallen down because of Omicron., but we've get ourselves back up and we come back to work after our isolation period. And that's what's been going on here. And so this additional staff will make a huge difference and we're incredibly grateful. I'll tell you that as it is difficult as it is - thank God. It's not like Jasmine, remember that morning, right? When we first knew something was amiss. 2020, I get a call from the then CEO that 16 people had been intubated and Stu’s emergency department in a two hour period, that would normally never happen under any kind of circumstances. At one time, Stu, I also remember when you had 100 intubated patients in the emergency room all at one time. So we got through that we are Elmhurst strong, we’re Health + Hospitals strong, sir and you can count on us. Thank you so much. 

[Applause] 

Mayor: I think it's important, it’s imperative to see new Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, I'm glad to see him here, and he has been a real partner with Dr. Chokshi, and so we look forward to that I want to bring up Dr. Ashwin at this time.] 

[Applause] 

Incoming Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Hi, everyone, I'll be brief because I didn't know I was speaking until just a minute ago, but it's an honor to be here. Most importantly, it's an honor to be here in front of all of you, folks who are on the front lines, combating this pandemic every day. As a practicing primary care physician myself, I have some taste of, of what you're going through and what you've been through, and I'm very proud to be a part of an administration that is making investments in quality of care, and in the infrastructure and supplies and staffing that you all need to do right for your patients. Which is I know why you get up every day and why the doctor has been here for 51 years because you care about your community, you care about your patients, and this is an investment in your ability to do the work that you're the experts at this most critical moment. But I also want to highlight, and again why I'm so proud to be joining this administration, is that this is more than an investment in health care alone. This is an investment in the relationship between health care and public health, knowing that those are intimately linked and they go hand in hand and the work that we do to address this pandemic through data, through prevention, through policy and through frontline distribution of vaccine and care goes hand in hand with the work that's done at fantastic facilities like Dr. Katz's and all of yours, including this one. So I'm just very grateful to be here. I'm grateful to be in partnership with Dr. Chokshi, during this transition phase. Grateful that he agreed to stay on during this most critical moment and I know he's just done an incredible job during this pandemic, and I look forward to spending more time with you. And thank you to the mayor again. 

[Applause] 

Mayor: Thank you. So before we open it to questions, we have to go to the Councilman who was a baby boy in his hospital born here. You know, just – he's like a superstar when he comes back in the building, Councilman Francisco Moya.  

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