For the past year, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - a government organization - has been cutting back on the amount of money it gives to teaching hospitals.
St. Elizabeth, Crouse, and St. Joseph's hospitals haven't felt the pinch yet, but they're feeling the pressure."I'm operating under the assumption," said Marianne Markowitz, Dean of St. Joseph's Hospital College of Nursing, "that the money is going to continue. But if it doesn't, then we are going to have answer some questions about enrollment, and if we can stay open."
Yes. The implication there is that without this money, St. Joseph's Hospital College of Nursing might have to shut down.
How much money are we talking about? Sen. Schumer says CNY nursing schools will lose about a total of $7.5 million per year - that's about $2.5 million each for St. Elizabeth, Crouse, and St. Joseph's.
Dean Markowitz says that money is used for teacher salaries, upgrading equipment, and keeping the tuition affordable.
The bill Sen. Schumer proposed prevents those funds from being cut.
"The future of nursing depends on [this bill]," said Cynthia Korff, second-year student at St. Joseph's College of Nursing. "If these funds get cut, I don't know what's going to happen...I mean I do know what's going to happen - nursing schools are going to shut down and there's going to be a lot less nurses.
"It scares me that this is even an issue."
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