Schumer and Schoolkids Tour Future Location of Rebuilt Tri-County Hospital

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer toured the future location of the rebuilt Tri-County hospital. Schumer successfully pushed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fully fund the relocation and rebuilding of the Tri-County Memorial Hospital in a secure location that would ensure local residents' access to the hospital. Initially, FEMA only offered to rebuild the hospital in the exact same location in which the flood occurred. Schumer and the local community objected, making the case that rebuilding a hospital in a known flood zone would put the future of the hospital and residents access to care in serious risk when a future storm came. The reversal comes after Schumer personally pleaded the hospital's case to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, urging him to fully fund the hospital's relocation and rebuilding. FEMA has now approved a project cost of $18.5 million to rebuild the hospital in a new location and demolish the old facility. FEMA will pick up 75% of the cost, and the rest will be split by the locality and the state.

Standing at future location of Tri-County hospital, Schumer was joined by State Senator Cathy Young, State Assemblyman Joe Giglio, Gowanda Mayor Dick Klancer, Perrysburg Mayor Anthony Kota, and the children of Ms. Samarra's second grade class last year, who, now third graders, sent handwritten letters to Schumer asking him to help save the hospital.

"This is just what the doctor ordered for Tri-County Hospital and the people of Western New York," Schumer said. "FEMA's original plan didn't make sense for the community, and I am gratified that in the end they listened to the concerns of the community and changed their position. It just goes to show what can happen when an entire community stands up and demands action. Not only did I get petitions with over 3000 signatures from residents of Gowanda and surrounding towns asking me to help, but I also received handwritten letters from a remarkable group of schoolchildren in Ms. Samarra's second grade class at the Gowanda Elementary School. I'd like to thank Administrator Fugate for his personal attention to this matter and responding so quickly to our concerns."

Tri-County Memorial Hospital was virtually swept away by severe flash flooding that occurred in August 2009. As soon as the flood hit, the hospital had to be evacuated and was no longer able to care for patients. Current patients went through the uncomfortable process of moving to another hospital approximately 15 miles away. The storm also took its toll on the economy of Western New York where 200 employees were immediately out of work.

For months, FEMA had only offered to approve a project cost of $14 million to rebuild the hospital, which was approximately $2,000,000 less than what was needed. FEMA said that it could not offer full funding to move the hospital because the hospital didn't meet the necessary relocation threshold. Schumer and New York State's Emergency Management Office (SEMO) did not agree with FEMA and said that rebuilding in the current location made no sense since people would not be able to even reach the hospital in a time of flood, and said that the full project cost should be approved by FEMA. At the time, Schumer said that FEMA should make the common sense choice and provide for full funding for rebuilding the hospital in an area less susceptible to flooding. The law prescribes that in cases such as these FEMA picks up 75% of the tab of the approved project cost, and the state and locality split the rest.

On December 15, 2009, FEMA told the New York State Emergency Management Office that Tri-County was not eligible for relocation assistance because eligible damage costs to the hospital comprise only thirty percent of hospital replacement costs. In this letter, FEMA states that this assessment is based on the analysis of information and pictures supplied by Tri-County Memorial Hospital. However, the New York State Emergency Management Office and local code enforcement officers assessed the damages to the Tri-County facility to be $10,446,000 and total cost to repair the hospital to be $16,815,000. This translated into repair costs accounting for approximately sixty-two percent of the replacement costs, exceeding the code's fifty percent threshold. With damage costs exceeding fifty percent of the repair costs, it was clear that the Tri-County Hospital was eligible for FEMA relocation assistance.

After looking at the evidence in favor of rebuilding, Schumer wrote a personal letter to Administrator Fugate urging full funding for a new hospital in a close, safe location that would not put the health of local residents at the mercy of a storm. Schumer also took the additional step of meeting with Fugate personally and pressing Tri-County's case. The two had a positive conversation during which Schumer laid out the common sense case for relocation and said that FEMA should approve the entire cost. FEMA's reversal came only weeks after the personal meeting and represented a huge reversal that was nothing short of a giant victory for the people of Western New York and the local citizens who depend on the care they received at Tri-County Hospital.

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