New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday his administration aims to target “for-profit nursing homes” as criticism mounts over his handling of COVID-19 positive nursing home patients in the state.
“Our focus, I believe, is going to be on the for-profit nursing homes,” the Democratic governor said during a press briefing Monday afternoon.
“I have long believed that there is tension in a for-profit nursing home, because those institutions are trying to make money,” Mr. Cuomo continued. “If you’re trying to make a profit, it’s too easy to sacrifice patient care. Everything becomes one or the other: Do you want to hire more staff or do you want to make more profit? Do you want to buy more PPE and stockpile more PPE or do you want to make more profit? Do you want to buy new equipment — new beds, new sheets, invest in the facility — or do you want to make more money?
“That tension is a problem, and that has to be resolved legislatively, because I don’t want to leave it to these for-profit owners what’s right, what’s wrong,” he added.
Mr. Cuomo said he will propose hospital and nursing home reforms in 30-day amendments in the upcoming budget, WHAM’s Tanner Jubenville reported.
Monday’s briefing marked Mr. Cuomo first at-length remarks since his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, admitted the administration purposely withheld the state’s COVID-19 nursing home death toll out of fears it could be used against them politically.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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