Gov. Kathy Hochul reversed course and pledged the full $450 million needed for a new emergency department at SUNY Upstate after witnessing overcrowded, strained conditions during a personal visit.
Initially, Hochul’s budget proposal allocated less than half that amount, but a firsthand look at patients lined up in hallways convinced her to act quickly. She emphasized the urgency of creating a modern facility to better serve Central New York.
Upstate has one of the longest ER wait times in the state, with over 7,500 patients leaving without care last year amid ongoing staffing challenges.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].