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MARCH 28 - APRIL 3, 2024
Leaders rally for NUMC Hospital seeks more money from Albany By JORDAN VALLONE jvallone@liherald.com
Courtesy Uniondale School District
The Heckscher Museum of Art recently opened a highly anticipated exhibit featuring the work of the best artists across Long Island — including three students from Uniondale High School. From left were junior Stephanie Avelar, art teacher Brianna Jacobs-Cruz, and seniors Dusand Barrow and Kendra Saint Louis.
Uniondale student artists among ‘Long Island’s Best’ By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com
The work of some very talented Uniondale High School student artists is now on highprofile display. Three students have been featured this month in a prestigious showcase for their artwork, at the renowned Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington. The exhibit, titled “Long Island’s Best: A Celebration of Art and Culture,” which opened on March 10 at the 104-year-old museum, is shining a bright light on the remarkable creativity of local students. This showcase invited the best artists from all over Long Island to appear and feature
their work. Among them, three of Uniondale High’s own had the opportunity to showcase their vibrant creativity, which was nurtured in Uniondale’s artistic community. The Heckscher Museum has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1920 by August Heckscher, a visionary philanthropist dedicated to fostering the appreciation of art throughout the local community. Over the decades, the museum has evolved into a renowned cultural institution, known for its diverse collection and dynamic exhibits. Kendra St. Louis, a Uniondale High senior, had a digital piece called “Child’s Play” on display. Another student, Dusand Barrow, also a ConTInUeD on pAge 9
For decades, the Nassau University Medical Center has existed and thrived as a crucial centerpiece in the county’s health care system. The state slashed aid to NUMC from nearly $190 million in 2017 to $65 million in 2023. A continued reduction in aid will prevent it from fulfilling its obligations to the people it serves, within a matter of months, hospital leadership said. Aside from being Nassau’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, the hospital also boasts a burn center, a hyperbaric chamber, robotic surgery equipment, and so much more. But perhaps most important, the public medical center is best known for providing high-quality health care services to patients regardless of their ability to pay. NUMC serves more than 270,000 patients annually, and more than 70 percent are minorities while 80 percent of the health care network’s patients are on Medicaid or Medicare. On Long Island, pressure for the state to supply funding to the hospital is a bipartisan effort. NUMC’s Interim President and Chief Executive Meg Ryan was joined in Albany by State Senator Kevin Thomas and Assemblywoman Taylor Darling, both
Democrats, and State Senators Steve Rhoads and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Assemblyman John Mikulin, all Republicans. These state officials represent thousands of the hospital’s client base within their Nassau County districts. “Nassau University Medical Center serves as a lifeline for countless individuals and families, offering essential medical care regardless of one’s ability to pay,” Thomas said. “It is a beacon of hope — people rely on it as their primary source of health care. Darling quoted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the rally, saying, “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.” “The clock is ticking on a very short window to save Nassau University Medical Center,” Darling said. “The only thing that can immediately necessitate this hospital shutdown is state aid. Now is the time for the state to step in to prevent this from happening,” Darling said she and colleagues in government have put pressure on both Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Department of Health Commissioner James McDonald, asking them to establish a budget line that will provide the hospital with what it needs in order to continue providing life saving services to the ConTInUeD on pAge 5