For Immediate Release: June 7, 2001

COUNCIL CANDIDATE COMMENDS CITY COUNCIL FOR AVERTING PLANNED CLOSURE OF ST. GEORGE CHILD HEALTH CLINIC:
PROMISES CAPTIAL FUNDING IN FY 2003 FOR RENOVATIONS TO REOPEN CLINIC

Staten Island, N.Y. - 49^th City Council (North Shore) candidate Debi Rose commended the City Council and Health Committee Chairman Victor Robles today for securing $4 million in funding in the Fiscal Year 2002 budget for the NYC Health and Hospital Corporation (H.H.C.) to avert the planned closure of 27 H.H.C. health clinic facilities, including the Child Health Clinic in St. George.

“I want to thank the Council, and in particular Health Committee Chairman Victor Robles, for their efforts to secure sufficient funding to maintain all of the clinics slated to be closed this year”, Ms. Rose stated. “While this action stops, for at least a year, any reduction in service planned by H.H.C., it does not address the year old ‘temporary’ closure of the St. George Clinic because of long delayed renovations”, she continued. “That is why I am pledge today to allocate sufficient capital dollars to H.H.C. in next year’s budget to insure the renovation and to permanently reopen the St. George Clinic if I’m am elected to the City Council from the 49^th District”, she concluded.

On May 26^th Ms. Rose was joined by Josephine Tucker, S.I. Borough Director of the Urban League, in a press conference urging the Governor the reject to planned closure of the St. George Health Clinic. She sent letter to Governor Pataki and Health Commissioner Novello outlining her concerns about the planned closure. On May 3, 2001 H.H.C. wrote to the State Department of Health seeking the closure and consolidation of 27 H.H.C. health clinic facilities (12 neighborhood and 15 school based clinics) in the City of New York.

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