April 12, 2006

Chairman’s Statement Regarding Proposed Albany Aid Package for Westchester Medical Center

I am pleased our state legislators have agreed in principle, to assist the Westchester Medical Center with $25 million annually for three years. This would be an important aid measure. I look forward to its passage and to the Governor’s signing it.

The financial assistance that the state legislature now seems prepared to provide will help buy additional time for the Medical Center to continue its dramatic turnaround. It adds to the $100 million in cash benefits, over $60 million this year alone, that the Westchester Board of Legislators, working with the County Executive, has provided the Medical Center since 2003. The County has also approved a program to handle millions of dollars in capital needs for the facility. The combined County and State aid will help ensure that residents of Westchester County and the entire mid-Hudson region continue to have access to the finest medical care available.

I thank our County’s Assembly and State delegation members for their

hard work in putting this package in place.