From the Daily News:The owner of the defunct Parkway Hospital claims in legal papers filed this week that ex-Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio tried to shake him down for thousands of dollars - and then had the hospital closed when he refused to pay.
Aquino said that on several occasions in 2005 and 2006, Seminerio asked him for consulting fees ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 per month. He said he refused each offer - and Seminerio grew furious.
Aquino said the rebuffed Seminerio "made sure" Parkway was on the Berger Commission's closure list.
"The last time I probably ever spoke to him," Aquino recalled, "he called me on the phone, screaming and yelling at me, telling me that if I didn't do this we would be in big trouble and we'd probably lose our license - which we did."
21 comments:
Beelzebub is smacking his lips contemplating his feast on the flesh of Seminerio.
When Tony has his heart attack, I hope he can find a hospital in Queens that can accommodate him.
I guess the fact that Parkway faired poorly on all of the criteria that the Berger Commission used had nothing to do with their closure.
When Tony has his heart attack, I'm sure he will want to go to a hospital that CAN ACTUALLY TREAT A HEART ATTACK. Parkway Hospital did not have the ability to do a cardiac catheterization which is standard procedure for patients having a heart attack.It was an antiquated facility, out of step with current practices and that's why it closed.It was also bankrupt and more than half empty.
as always, there's more to this story...
Parkway was the worst hospital, ever. I doubt Tony was the reason it closed.
Horrible, disgusting hospital.
Some of you are missing the point here. Pkwy was not perfect, not by a long shot. But, the owner, Dr. Aquino, was trying his best to improve conditions and modernize the facility. Heck, when he took the place over they were on the verge of bankruptcy and he wanted to save the place. But, now with St. Johns and Mary Immaculate gone for good can anyone in Queens say that Pkwy's closure was a good thing? Both the Beep's office and Comptroller Thompson had advocated giving Pkwy time to clean up its act and get out from under a mountain of debt. Seminerio had the place shuttered because he didn't get paid--that much is clear. But, there's even more corruption here than simply "Two Ton Tony" and his greedy little hands. Tony had contacts at DOH that essentially either got paid themselves to yank Pkwy's license or just did Seminerio the favor to stay in his good graces.
Moreover, the Berger Commission's criteria were flawed anyway and that much has been acknowledged. But, if you think that Queens is now BETTER off with 251 fewer beds from Pkwy and without St.John's and Mary Immaculate...well, that's your perogative, no matter how misguided.
One last thing: go tell the several hundred employees that worked at Pkwy that "they're actually better off," now that Pkwy is closed.
Just wait--this corruption scandal has legs as big as "Two Ton Tony."
The berger commission statistics used to close Parkway were based upon numbers from the previous owners of Parkway, not under the Aquino's ownership- so all those talking about Aquino are all full of crap. And, whatever you all complain about, Parkway can offer better care than closed St. Johns or Mary Immaculate can currently provide. Add in that ER waiting times are now up to 17 hours in Queens. Lots of deaths in Queens because of the closing of Parkway. On top of that, think about all the workers that would be working if the hospital were open. This hospital was closed because of corruption in NYS politics and the pay offs by other hospitals in competition with Parkway. If Parkway was so bad why did Jamaica Hospital have to pay off Dept. of Health to get them to close Parkway. PARKWAY WANTS TO REOPEN, AND THE STATE SHOULD LET IT! THE PEOPLE OF QUEENS NEED MORE HOSPITALS. You complaining, tell all of us the truth- why do you want Queens to suffer with lack of medical and ER care!!!!
Well, any of the several hundred employees that have gotten other jobs will tell you they are better off now. They have real medical insurance and they work in real hospitals. And, what makes anyone think that " lots of patients have died because Parkway closed" that is clearly unsubstantiated nonsense. Patients may be waiting in ERs for 17 hours, to get a bed, not to be evaluated and treated. The fact that the 3 hospitals in Queens have closed has improved the financial health of the remaining facilities and that was one of the goals of Berger. Why didn't Dr Aquino allege this "shakedown by Seminario" in the lawsuit he filed in September? Did he forget?
Previous articles posted here mentioned that it takes many hours to be seen by a doctor when visiting the ER. And that was before the 3 hospitals closed.
Even if there is a need for increased ER capacity, it doesn't mean there is a need for another hospital. Since there are clearly many people posting that don't know about health care, there were many beds added in Queens after the closing of St John's and Mary Immaculate. These beds were added to the licenses of the remaining hospitals.
I thought it was alleged that North Shore was complicit in the closing of Parkway? How deep is this conspiracy?
"Even if there is a need for increased ER capacity, it doesn't mean there is a need for another hospital."
HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
Yes, let's put bunk beds in hallways, offices, exam rooms, etc.
We have been shortchanged with respect to hospital beds for decades and you are suggesting that we don't need more hospital facilities? We have a million more people coming to the city, haven't you heard?
What kind of crack are you smoking?
And North Shore-LIJ is alleged to have urged Malcolm Smith to allow SJQH and MIH to close so they could buy one of them at auction.
Sounds like someone really is happy that Parkway closed. Wonder why that is.
Well, Crapper, I assure you that I am not smoking Crack or anything else. I wrote, 'there have been beds added to the remaining facilities". Perhaps there could be a real review of bed capacity and utilization. You seem more interested in fact free, angry non expert rants than in intelligent discussion.
"Queens is under-bedded and underserved - the Borough of Queens has 2.3 million residents with a ratio of 1.4 beds per 1,000 people. By comparison, Manhattan has 1.5 million residents and 7.1 beds per 1,000 people. And, there is a growing demand for healthcare services in Queens. Our Borough is growing by leaps and bounds. And most of the growth is residential. New and growing families are placing further stress on an already overburdened healthcare delivery system. As a matter of fact, the study shows that there will be a dramatic increase in the number of individuals 45 years of age and older. This factors in aging baby boomers as well as the graying of the population. Currently, there are more than 374,000 residents in Queens who are 60 years of age or older. That is 1/3 of the entire city’s elderly population. Make no mistake; this increase in the elderly population will result in a heightened demand for inpatient, outpatient and emergency room services." - Helen Marshall's testimony at the NYS Assembly, 12/06
Is that intelligent enough for you?
Maybe those that want to see Parkway remain closed are also being paid by Rosen at Jamaica Hospital, like Rosen paid Seminario to get Parkway closed? Some of you may to approve of Parkway and Aquino, but the citizens of Queens can make their own choice where to go for medical care and it should not be corrupt department of health seminario cronies making the choices for us. LET PARKWAY REOPEN and then let honest DOH agents oversee its operation. You may not have had a good experience at Parkway, but I read about doctors at North Shore leaving patients on operating tables and refusing to treat them. I have read how city hospitals covered up mistakes done to patients. why do you choose to hate Aquino? All of you so disposed should state your reasons. If they are based on outdated statistics, then update and discuss other hospitals and their errors and omissions. Or perhaps you work for Jamaica hospital and are covering your tushes after bribing Seminario to put parkway out of business?
May be some people don't like Dr Aquino because he lied to their face, may be some don't like him because he owes them money,or failed to meet contractual obligations or may be some people witnessed him making bad decisions and refusing to listen to anything he didn't want to hear. That may explain why some people aren't so crazy about him .
so all you care is about YOUR money, not your neighbors and their health. Maybe Aquino owes you some money but it looks like your friend Rosen is OK to bribe Seminerio, put a hospital out of business, cause so many people to lose their jobs, cause others to suffer pain and suffering while waiting 18 hours in emergency rooms-but your real complaint is about you being owed money by Aquino. Man, I feel real sorry for you. You're a sad and depressed person who has an axe to grind and will cover your chicken shit cowardliness by attacking Parkway as an institution. If Aquino owes you money and you have a righteous case, then hire a lawyer and stop crying about Parkway so that you hurt us, your neighbors. All of you out there, lets get together and demand that the Department of Health reopen Parkway and do it NOW before swine flu kills people like the money complainer blogger!
Parkways opening or closing was irrelevant to any of the major hospitals in Queens, NYHQ, Jamaica, MIH, Queens Hospital etc. A much as Aquino wanted to be relevant they were in different leagues. Parkway was on the closing list of DOH before there was a Berger Commission so you all should stop blaming anyone else for their demise.
Also I think that it is commendable that Aquino didn't pay Tony's "consulting fee" but my guess is he probably would have if he had the money so he should just Shut Up.
Don't assume anything because then you become an a$$ out of u and me and I'm no a$$. Rosen buys politicians and you accept that. Aquino follows the law and you deride him for it. Queens loses beds and you accept it. Aquino is willing to open a much needed hospital when no one else will and you again deride him. Well I say Let him. ThAnk G-d you aren't the government who decides - or are you?
Now the Post has a story on this also.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08162009/news/regionalnews/hosp_boss_sues_over_bribe_try_184781.html
The corruption of NYS and Department of Health in collusion with Rosen at Jamaica Hospital brought down Parkway for their own personal gain. The Berger Commission Regional Advisory Committee made the recommendation that said to keep Parkway open
http://www.nyhealthcarecommission.org/docs/final/appendix2-newyorkcityrac.pdf at page 16
and at the last minute changed its tune (because of pressures from Seminario, Rosen and those on the take or with their own self interests in mind. It is time for the those corrupt villains to stop causing Queens to suffer and let Parkway reopen so we have another hospital to go to when we need it!
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