BOARD 6 ON HOSPITAL'S SHUTDOWN

Gregory Hoffman of the Forest Hills Football League (center) talks about his organization. Seated at left is Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio; at right is Board 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy. The fate of Parkway Hospital was on the minds of Community Board 6 at the body's Nov. 12 meeting at the Kew Gardens Community Center.

Dr. Robert Aquino, M.D., the hospital's president and CEO, was scheduled to address the board but did not attend.

Board 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy announced to the body that Parkway Hospital, located at 70-44 Grand Central Pkwy. in Forest Hills, has been closed.

"At this point, they've moved all the patients out of Parkway Hospital," he told the body. "I'm not knowledgeable enough to discuss it, but it is a little bit contradictory that we don't have beds in the hospitals but at the same time we get rid of a certain number of beds."

Board member Norbert Chwat, in a speech to the board, addressed the hospital's recent closure.

He noted that the state Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, commonly known as the Berger Commission, was the group responsible for recommending the hospital be shut down.

According to Chwat, the members of the commission are no longer politically active, but the state Department of Health seems committed to following through on the commission's recommendations "until the very bitter end."

In the meantime, Chwat added, the area is undergoing a period of high-rise construction. "The question then arises: if that is so, why did the Berger Commission and the Department of Health now, even today, insist that Parkway Hospital be closed?" he asked. "Where do we go when there is a problem?"

He also claimed that Parkway Hospital was part of an emergency plan to provide triage units at Grand Central Parkway and Flushing Meadows Corona Park in case of terrorist attack, "but nobody really gave a damn."

"It's really a personal situation for most of us in this area," he said.

Hennessy told Chwat that Board 6 has offered several resolutions opposing Parkway's closure. Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz added that Borough President Helen Marshall has also fought to keep Parkway open.

Hennessy also noted that it is tough for lawmakers to fight to keep a private hospital open. "I wouldn't blame our elected officials to that degree," he told Chwat.

Board 5 Vice Chairman Steven Goldberg disputed that, pointing to the recent federal bailout of AIG and other financial companies.

"The precedent has been set for public officials to get involved with private institutions," he stated.

Chwat, however, wanted the board to take to the streets. "There's only one way to handle that thing and people here know it, and that would be to have 300 people running up and down Queens Boulevard and 113th Street where the hospital is with signs and yelling and saying that 'if you don't do something, we'll really get mad and you may not be re-elected next time.'"

Former state lawmaker Michael Cohen sided with Chwat.

Although the Berger Commission "was created to address the problem of too many hospital beds in the state of New York causing a drain on the state's treasury," Cohen was "convinced that the closing of Parkway Hospital had nothing to do with vacant beds."

He also noted that with new leadership at the state level, the community should re-examine "a push for Parkway Hospital to be restored in its current form or in some other type of form."

The board voted to send a letter to elected officials asking them to keep Parkway Hospital open.

Queens Falcons

Gregory Hoffman of the Forest Hills Football League gave Board 6 an overview of his operation.

The FHFL, also known at the Queens Falcons, serves over 300 families a year. In addition to teaching young boys and girls about the sport and playing games at Juniper Valley Park and Victory Field, the league also offers educational programs, tutoring and summer jobs.

In an effort to expand its operain tions, the league—which is, as Hoffman put it, "a 100-percent volunteer organization"—had recently moved into a new office location, which comes with an increase in rent.

"We've decided to expand the program and therefore we've taken on some more financial obligations," Hoffman admitted, adding that an annual golf fund-raiser helps to cover the costs.

Gulluscio on Gulluscio

In his District Manager's Report, Frank Gulluscio addressed his upcoming move to capture the seat City Council Member Joseph Addabbo will relinquish once he takes his recently-won State Senate seat.

Gulluscio, a Howard Beach resident, told Board 6 that, after conversing with the city's Conflicts of Interest Board, he was assured that continuing to serve as district manager while running for office would not pose a problem.

"I will still be giving my utmost to this community board," he stated.

The special election for Addabbo's seat, according to the district manager, will take place in late February or early March of 2009.

Gulluscio also noted in his report that the State Liquor Authority is revamping its applications to provide community boards with more information.

Kidz Care

J.R. Nocerino of Kidz Care announced that his volunteer organization will again hold a free Thanksgiving Dinner for senior citizens at the American Legion Continental Post in Forest Hills on Nov. 27.

Those looking for more information should call 1-917-670-4914.

Community Board 6 will next meet Dec. 10 at the Kew Gardens Community Center, located at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd., Suite 202.