"Hello, I'm Chris Owens",

STATEMENT OF CHRIS OWENS ON THE CLOSING OF ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL


"The closing of St. Mary's Hospital in Crown Heights, Brooklyn is one more 
piece of evidence that America's health care system is critically ill.  There is 
a tremendous need for a health facility in this neighborhood for both health and 
economic reasons.  Central Brooklyn has high rates of asthma, diabetes, and HIV, 
to name a few issues.  We must not accept the failure of the private and public 
sectors to keep St. Mary's Hospital viable and available to our communities.  
Where are the emergency funds?  Where are the creative attempts to partner with 
other institutions?  What are the Mayor and Governor doing to protect the health 
of New Yorkers?  The financial pressure on hospitals has been foretold for some 
time, yet the establishment takes a laissez-faire attitude towards the 
situation?

It is ironic when overwhelmingly Black Brooklyn communities can be easily 
abandoned for a lack of $10 million per year, yet New York City can offer tax 
breaks and sweetheart deals to private developers that will take billions of 
dollars out of circulation -- billions that could go to potential emergency 
funds for struggling hospitals and the development of alternative uses for the 
buildings and alternative management structures.  

Hospitals can close in our needy neighborhoods here, but billions of dollar flow 
each week to fund our flailing Iraqi military adventure.  Our health care system 
is critically ill, our priorities are out of order, and the big loser is the 
patient -- particularly the poorer patient.  

We must fight this shut down of St. Mary's Hospital, which is a very important 
community asset."


Chris Owens is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives representing 
the 11th Congressional District, which includes St. Mary's hospital.  He is also 
the past President of the Board of Trustees of The Weeksville Society, an 
organization charged with maintaining the historical remnants of a free Black 
community known as Weeksville.  St. Mary's Hospital is located immediately 
adjacent to the Weeksville Historic Site.

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