NY Pub Auth L § 3626 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBA - Public Authorities Article 10-C - New York Health Care Corporations Title 6 - Erie County Medical Center Corporation 3626 - Legislative Findings and Declarations.

§  3626. Legislative findings and declarations. The legislature hereby   finds and declares as follows:1. Currently, the Erie County Medical  Center  is  a  public  hospital   owned and operated by the county of Erie.2.  The  Erie  County  Medical  Center  healthcare  network includes a   general hospital, the Erie County Home,  and  several  clinics  in  Erie   county.3. The Erie County Medical Center is a tertiary care facility for Erie   county  and  the  seven  other  counties  in  western  New  York  and an   affiliated hospital of the health science center at Buffalo of the state   university of New York. As such, the Erie County Medical  Center  serves   as  an  integral part of the education and research mission of the state   university and fulfills an important public  purpose.  The  Erie  County   Medical  Center  provides  the health science center at Buffalo with the   clinical settings essential to the fulfillment of its public mission  to   educate   and   train   physicians,   nurses,   and  other  health  care   professionals, conducts critical  research,  and  delivers  health  care   services to the residents of the western New York region.4. The Erie County Medical Center is the only major public hospital in   western  New  York  and  provides  certain sophisticated and specialized   patient care services not available in  other  area  hospitals.  As  the   regional  level  I  trauma  center for the eight counties of western New   York, the Erie County Medical Center has earned a  reputation  for  high   quality  care. The comprehensive program also features the region's only   burn treatment center, a designated spinal cord injury unit, and a  head   trauma  unit.  Trauma  services  are  supported  by  a  broad  scope  of   rehabilitation, home care, and  outpatient  services.  The  Erie  County   Medical  Center  also  is  the  designated AIDS treatment center for the   eight counties of western New York, the central point of admission  into   the  local  mental  health  community, and the largest acute care mental   health hospital program in western New York.  The  Erie  County  Medical   Center  is  the  leading  provider  of  inpatient and outpatient medical   rehabilitation  services  in  western  New  York,  a  major  center  for   undergraduate and graduate medical education, and a productive source of   clinical and basic science research in rehabilitation medicine. The Erie   County  Medical  Center also is a recognized leader in providing quality   medical care to the elderly. The Erie County Medical  Center  healthcare   network's  geriatric  services  program  includes  the area's only acute   inpatient geriatric unit and nearly eight hundred long term care beds at   both the Erie county home in Alden and a skilled  nursing  unit  at  the   Erie County Medical Center.5.  The  needs  of  the  residents of the state of New York and of the   county of Erie can best be served by the operation of  the  Erie  County   Medical  Center  healthcare network through a public benefit corporation   having the legal, financial, and managerial  flexibility  to  take  full   advantage  of  opportunities  and  challenges  presented by the evolving   health care environment.6. In order to accomplish the purposes  recited  in  this  section  of   providing  health care services and health facilities for the benefit of   the residents of the state of New York and the county of Erie, including   persons in need of health care services without the ability to  pay,  as   required  by  law,  a public benefit corporation to be known as the Erie   County Medical Center Corporation  shall  be  created  to  provide  such   services  and  facilities  and to otherwise carry out such purposes. The   creation and operation of the Erie County Medical Center Corporation, as   provided in this title, is in all respects for the benefit of the people   of the state of New York and of the county  of  Erie  and  is  a  state,   county,  and  public  purpose.  The  exercise by such corporation of the    functions, powers, and duties provided in  this  title  constitutes  the   performance of an essential public and governmental function.7. In authorizing the Erie County Medical Center healthcare network to   be  operated  through  a public benefit corporation, it is intended that   the hospital continue as a general, municipal hospital available to  the   residents  of  the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and western New York   state generally, that the health care  services  provided  by  the  Erie   County  Medical Center healthcare network's hospital, clinics, long term   care facilities, and ancillary facilities by dedicated public  employees   who  treat  tens  of  thousands  of  New  York  residents  annually will   continue, and that the network's role as a leading provider of  services   to medicaid patients will also continue.