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$300M New York Taxpayer Debt


Learn all about the $300M that was to help Utica Hospitals complete their mergers. Quickly the funding became a New Hospital, and before the public had a chance to digest the news, a Downtown Utica hospital.

Oneida County Health Care Facility Transformation

Read it here, NYS DOH, Oneida County Health Care Facility Transformation Program


Political efforts, and we believe motives, have brought $300M to the Oneida County region for a new hospital. It is a State Grant, that would become $300M of statewide debt. Some have heard if it is not used to build downtown, this funding will go away.

This page will investigate these claims. Others also say, "Make no mistake, Politics has a great deal to do with this issue."


November 10, 2016 - In article titled, Health system hires firm to get public input on downtown, one reads,

The timing of what the hospital calls its engagement program is not coincidental. The state will issue its long-awaited request for applications for its $300 million Oneida County Health Care Facility Transformation Program around Nov. 21, with an application deadline early next year, according to the New York State Department of Health. The extent of community engagement and its impact on the project will be part of the evaluation criteria, according to the health department.

In theory, an organization other than the health system could apply for the state funding; the health system isn’t singled out by the state budget bill. But it does specify that any project or projects to be funded must be in Utica and consolidate “multiple licensed health care facilities into an integrated system of acute inpatient, outpatient primary and other health care services.”

Those are criteria that it likely would be hard for a different health care provider to meet given how many health care facilities the Mohawk Valley Health System operates in Utica.

The $300 million likely will be awarded in the spring, a health department official said. The department would then execute a contract with the recipient spelling out the terms for the money’s release. That contract would need to be approved by the attorney general and the state comptroller before the money could be released.


Such a statement has been made by others. However, the fact that the MVHS Board of Directors unanimously approved both St. Luke's and downtown for a new hospital, suggests this statement is unfounded.

Consider this from MVHS, " While Utica is the top location for the new facility, the feasibility of building the hospital there remains under review. In the event the downtown site proves not to be financially viable, we will move on to our second site option at the St. Luke’s campus, which the board feels will also serve the community well, Perra said." (Rome Sentinel, September 23, 2015)

We believe the Proponents of the downtown location hope they'll silence people who want a new hospital out of a (false) fear we'd loose the $300M, or they'll keep quiet, or not speakout against downtown.


Our group is not opposed to investing in the region's healthcare and not against a new hospital, just the Downtown Utica location selected by politicians! We're 4,000+ Strong At #NoHospitalDowntown and say: Just Build IT At St. Luke's!



No Studies, No Reports, thus we remain #NoHospitalDowntown