Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Emergency Department Expansion and Modernization Event

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Emergency Department expansion and modernization event.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the event is available here.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks are available below:

Good morning, everyone. What a spectacular day. This is 10 years in the making, a lot of hopes and dreams. And then in the middle of it all, a pandemic, which demonstrated the incredible compassion and resiliency of this organization where so many of your members, everyone from nurses to doctors to people who work in the kitchens and the custodial staff and the doulas and everybody else pull together to save this community. And as the Governor of this State, I'm so grateful.

But this is a day of a new beginning. This is a day with the support of our elected officials who are here. And I want to thank so many who believe in Jamaica Medical to their core. Starting with our Congressman, Greg Meeks, who insisted that we help deliver for this community, help deliver for this hospital. I want to also thank your Borough President, Donovan Richards, who came here early in life. In fact, he was born here I understand. So, he's well familiar with how important this is as well.

Our elected leaders, we have Senator Leroy Comrie here. Senator Addabbo has arrived as well. Assemblymember David Weprin, Alicia Hyndman, Councilmember Lynn Schulman. I don't know if any other electeds have arrived. But also Dr. Shi-Wen Lee, thank you for your leadership of the emergency department. Thank you.

Now, I look out at this community and I see great possibility, but for so many years and decades, there was disinvestment in safety net hospitals, people just, okay they'll take care of themselves and thought that the people of this community didn't have the political clout to make real transformative changes. That time is over my friends.

With this new beginning, we say that this community matters, this hospital matters, and we're going to continue working together with this $150 million investment in the future of the health of this community. And as a result, more lives will be saved. We'll enhance our psychiatric services because my God, people are going through so much right now.

All the work that was being done to save lives from overdoses from fentanyl and opioids. We're doing that right here in real-time. We have so much more to do, but this community deserves the finest institution, the finest facilities and the finest opportunity to get the best outcomes in life.

I am grateful to be here. Today we right the wrongs of the past. We make this place a shining model of what can be done when government works together with our responsibilities to help hospitals like Jamaica Medical be the very best they can be.

I have to apologize for leaving early. Unfortunately, I'm going to the funeral of a State Police Officer. And let us not forget that people who went down to the pile, who went down there in the aftermath of 9/11, we're still losing their lives today.

This person is 43 years old. He was barely out of the academy when he went down there, struggled with cancer, and today we send him onto his just reward. It is a sad day for the people where I'm heading, but I want you to know I am grateful for every single one of you who care enough to have dedicated your lives and making the contributions to helping the people of this beloved community. Thank you all so very much.