About 100,000 of Central New York’s poorest and most vulnerable residents risk losing a wide-range of medical services as a result of President Trump’s funding freeze. Community health centers could halt treatment or close altogether if federal funding cuts proceed.
The 200 people who work at Syracuse Community Health are bracing for the worst after already facing missed payments and shutdowns of key federal government websites. President and CEO Dr. Ofrona Reid said they have 13 locations that play a critical role in the health care picture.
“Our unique walk in care services has decreased the burden to our local hospital emergency rooms," Reid said. "It also addresses the immediate patient needs and creates access to preventive medicine. Our patients often experience barriers of language, transportation and food insecurity. Syracuse Community Health strives to eliminate those barriers and provide cost effective services to better establish consistent health outcomes.”
Syracuse Community Health receives about $400,000 a month to provide that care, about 16 percent of its overall budget. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped at the main center on South Salina Street Monday, and said he’s infuriated with Trump and Elon Musk for making indiscriminate cuts put people’s lives at risk.
“This has nothing to do with inefficiency," Schumer said. "These centers are among the most efficient providers of health care in America. Its nastiness. It's a desire to cut the government to smithereens. Why? So certain billionaires can get even a bigger tax break.”
Schumer said Democrats are fighting back in several ways, including in the courts.
“Most of this is illegal. These are required by law," Schumer said. "The president can't do it without Congress. As of yesterday, there were 46 lawsuits that had been filed and we won 43 of them. They restored everything temporarily, Now we’re going to court to restore all of this permanently.”
Schumer says senate Democrats have also set up a "whistleblower portal" where federal workers can report damaging cuts to public programs and services.
