Blakeman Fires Back At Hochul Naming New Chair Of NUMC Board

EAST MEADOW, NY — A restructuring of the board of directors that oversee Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) has drawn the ire of County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

"Everything in this beautiful facility with these great workers has turned into turmoil," Blakeman said at Tuesday's news conference. "The state blatantly passed a law, which is illegal, to take over Nassau University Medical Center with the sole interest in closing the hospital as we know it."

On Saturday, Governor Hochul named Stuart Rabinowitz, former president of Hofstra University, as chair of the board for Nassau Health Care Corporation (NHCC).

“NUMC is a vital lifeline for so many on Long Island, and today we are taking long-overdue steps to ensure it has the leadership and oversight it needs to thrive,” Hochul said.

As part of the state's reforms for the hospital that went into effect on June 1:

• The Nassau County Executive will no longer have approval authority over the NHCC CEO.
• The Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) will have enhanced oversight, including the power to approve NHCC contracts exceeding $1 million and, under specific conditions, the authority to declare a control period over NHCC.
• NHCC is required to conduct and submit a study by December 1, 2026, exploring options to strengthen NUMC.

Hochul has "found billions of dollars for illegal migrants who've been here for 15 minutes. What about the residents of Nassau County?," Blakeman said, "We are going to overturn this power grab."

"His assertions are ridiculous," said Gordon Tepper, the governor's Long Island press secretary. "The Board's restructuring is unequivocally the best possible news for anyone who relies on NUMC. Due to years of gross mismanagement under his watch, the hospital is in financial peril. This is a desperately needed intervention. The State’s priorities for NUMC have always been ensuring quality patient care and achieving financial stability. The actions taken by the hospital's leadership and County Executive Blakeman suggest that these priorities are not shared."

Democratic Nassau Legislator Seth Koslow, opposing Blakeman for county executive this fall, also criticized his tactics.

“While Bruce Blakeman throws another tantrum, our legislators are focused on saving lives. We intend to make our appointment to the NUMC board because we follow the law and put patients before politics. Blakeman’s refusal to name board members isn’t a protest — it’s a blatant refusal to do his job," Koslow said.

The new hospital board is expected to call a special meeting to set NHCC on a path toward stability, Hochul said.