How Will Our Institutions Fare?

At New York City’s Bronx Lebanon Hospital, members say reforms may bring relief.

Bronx Lebanon workers Shirley Riley-Griffin, a social worker, and Luqmon Kelosho (below), a patient care technician, discussing their hopes for healthcare reform.

The landmark healthcare reform bill signed by Pres. Obama in March—The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act— expands health coverage to include some 32 million individuals and overhauls the nation’s healthcare delivery system, largely by reworking how it’s financed.

Areas that will see significant shifts include Medicaid, which will expand in 2014; the health insurance industry, which will be subject to major reforms; and long-term care, for which less expensive coverage will be more widely available. There are measures which encourage cooperation between institutions and physicians in managing patients’ care. And these are measures which call for the study of innovations in quality patient care and the implementation of these new models on a larger scale over time.

Wilma Mitchell, an activity therapist at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York City, is open to change, especially if it will help struggling institutions. Safety net hospitals like hers desperately need relief from years of spiraling healthcare costs, she says.

“These plans are great for our institutions even though they are going to make people nervous at first.”

“We’ve dealt with the closing of so many of our important programs over the years,” says Mitchell, an 1199SEIU delegate. “For example, this year they said the money wasn’t there for our adult day treatment program. We’re the only clinic in this area that provides treatment for the needs of those clients.”

Bronx Lebanon social worker Shirley Riley-Griffin hopes that the changes move towards a reorganized healthcare system, and that they keep funds in community institutions like Bronx Leb. “One of my big concerns has always been more accessibility for the people of our communities,” says Riley-Griffin. “People need to be able to get prescriptions, benefits and services. People who come to places like Bronx Lebanon aren’t able to pay a lot for medical services. These are people who squeeze every penny out of their pockets to pay for these things. They are really struggling.”

Luqmon Kelosho, a Bronx Lebanon patient care technician, is optimistic about the changes ahead.

“These plans are great for our institutions even though they make people nervous at first,” he says. “They’re really going to cut wasteful spending. People look at these plans like they are going to cost a lot of money, but really they are about the future. I think when people see what happens over time they will see that this law is the best thing that could have happened.”

“It’s true,” agrees Jazmin Haygood, a call center associate at Bronx Lebanon. “People don’t need a second x-ray or a second MRI, but a lot of the time they just don’t know any better. These changes will make things better.”

Jefroy Morrishay, a Bronx Lebanon electrician, says the new law—with all of its unknowns—is progress.

“Over the years here we have experienced so many budget cuts. I’m hoping that the people who are leading the charge for this legislation are in a position to finally provide more services,” says Morrishay. “I’m really looking at this in a positive light.”