Photos: Mayor de Blasio Tours Staten Island University Hospital Facilities That Will Benefit From Major Resiliency Investment

October 6, 2014

Video available at: https://youtu.be/BjEsD0Fa7-g

SIUH underground boiler room and power plant to be made more resilient with recently announced City commitment of $28 million

Photos are available at flickr.com/nycmayorsoffice

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today toured an underground boiler room and power plant at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), which will be made more resilient as part of the City’s recently allocated funding for the hospital. Last month, the de Blasio administration announced a commitment of $28 million to fund major resiliency measures at SIUH—home to the largest emergency room on Staten Island—ensuring that the hospital’s comprehensive resiliency program can now move forward, better preparing this critical infrastructure for future extreme weather.

“Ensuring reliable medical care for New Yorkers in the event of extreme weather is one of the best investments we can make for Staten Island and our city—and today, we got to see exactly how our resiliency funding for this life-saving infrastructure will be spent,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The funding for SIUH will better protect this hospital and Staten Islanders who depend on it against future extreme weather. We are now one step closer to a stronger, more resilient New York, and I’m grateful to all my partners in government for making this happen.”

The City’s comprehensive resiliency plan specifically cited the need for a major resiliency investment in SIUH, given the hospital’s proximity to water and vulnerability to flooding. In collaboration with Mayor de Blasio’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency, Borough President Oddo, and local elected officials, SIUH has identified a $40 million resiliency program that will:

• Elevate critical building power and mechanical systems ($23.2 million for the North Campus; $12.1 million for the South Campus)
• Install sanitary holding tanks and backflow prevention ($1 million for the North Campus)
• Make major wind resiliency and roofing improvements ($3.6 million for the North Campus

In May 2014, SIUH was awarded $12 million by the state under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for part of this scope. The City’s funding—part of its federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funds—will allow SIUH to complete its entire scope of work at both hospital campuses.

“Simply put, Mayor de Blasio listened. He heard us, which means he heard Staten Island. And for that, I am extremely grateful,” said Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. “Once again, when we act as a team as elected officials, good things can happen. In this instance, the joy of this moment is only outpaced by the relief that SIUH is getting the help it needs to ensure it will be there for Staten Islanders even during the most critical of times. A particular thank you to Councilman Ignizio for his doggedness.”

“By directing these resiliency funds to Staten Island University Hospital, Mayor de Blasio is providing a lifeline to tens of thousands of Staten Islanders, ensuring that one of the borough's two critical health care systems will remain operational during a disaster. I want to thank the Mayor for listening to my Staten Island colleagues and I, who have been tenacious in our efforts to ensure we are better prepared for the next Hurricane Sandy,” said Council Minority Leader Vincent Ignizio.

“These critical funds will help Staten Island Island University Hospital be able to withstand the next Sandy. All Staten Islanders know how vitally important it is to ensure that SIUH remains open in times of crisis to provide top notch quality of care. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for listening to our needs, and my colleagues in government for their determination to make this happen,” said Council Member Steven Matteo.

“One of the many lessons we learned in the days after Hurricane Sandy was that our hospital infrastructure was vulnerable to extreme weather events. I commend Mayor de Blasio for securing this $25 million so that Staten Island is better prepared for any future weather event we may experience. With only two hospitals on this island, it is essential that we strengthen our infrastructure to protect SIUH—and the health and well being of Staten Islanders—in the years to come,” said Council Member Deborah Rose.

“Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s leadership, we will be able to ensure better protection for Staten Island University Hospital. Staten Island’s largest emergency room, SIUH accounts for over one-third of the borough’s in-patient beds, has two campuses, both located in areas that are vulnerable to flooding. With these resiliency upgrades and improvements, we will significantly reduce vulnerabilities to those on the East and South Shore experiencing future emergency situations,” said State Senator Diane J. Savino.

“Staten Island University Hospital, which was directly impacted by Superstorm Sandy, is a critically important component of Staten Island’s health care delivery system. I commend and thank Mayor de Blasio for hearing our pleas and delivering this much-needed Sandy relief funding, which will help fortify and protect the hospital against future coastal storms,” said Senator Andrew Lanza.

“With only two hospitals on an island of half a million residents, investments in resiliency measures are critical. During Hurricane Sandy, all of our bridges were shut down, so traveling to an off-Island hospital was not an option. We can’t afford to have either of our hospitals out of service during a crisis of that magnitude. I thank Mayor de Blasio and our City Council delegation for their diligence in making this vital funding a reality,” said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis.

“This is a great day for SIUH and all Staten Islanders. Today is a victory for our community with this much-needed investment in our health care. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for his commitment to the resiliency of Staten Island’s critical infrastructure,” said Assemblyman Michael Cusick.

“The Staten Island Community is grateful for the leadership and dedication that Mayor de Blasio has shown to us by investing in Staten Island University Hospital’s critical infrastructure. This $28 million investment will certainly ensure the continued vitality of our institution and protect all Staten Islanders and enhance their uninterrupted delivery of Healthcare services if and when the next natural disaster may strike,” said Donna Proske, Executive Director of Staten Island University Hospital, North Shore LIJ.