Press Releases

Today, Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) sent a letter to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul urging her administration to intervene in the planned closure of Weinberg Campus’ Rosa Coplon Living Center in Western New York. 

In the letter, Kennedy wrote that the closure would exacerbate the state’s ongoing care crisis, “There are 5,600 fewer nursing home beds available today than there were in 2019….Closing another facility will only worsen this crisis as transferring residents will strain an already overburdened system….The closure will also deepen the existing care crisis in our community by forcing more than 300 skilled members of the healthcare workforce from their jobs.”

Kennedy recalled personal experiences of facility closures during his career in healthcare to underscore the necessity of an expedited receivership, writing, “As an occupational therapist, I have seen firsthand the impacts of facility closures and the involuntary relocations that result from them, especially instances as sudden as this. It disrupts care, negatively impacts mental and physical health, and in the worst cases, some patients do not survive.”

Kennedy urged the Governor to use state surplus resources to facilitate a receivership by Lineage Care Group (Lineage) to keep the facility operating, writing, “Through your careful stewardship, New York’s surplus fund is robust enough to support emergencies like this and meet the financial needs of the facility outlined by Lineage. For these reasons, once again I respectfully request that the state step in and take immediate action to prevent the closure of this facility and provide funding to support the receivership of the Rosa Coplon Living Center at the Weinberg Campus.” 

To view the full letter, click here. 

Background Information: 

On October 25, Kennedy released the following statement after Weinberg Campus announced the closure of its Rosa Coplon Living Center. To view the statement, click here. 

On October 29, Kennedy joined residents of the Rosa Coplon Living Center and members of 1199SEIU Health Care Workers to call on the Department of Health to facilitate a receivership that would keep the facility open. 

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