“I will promise you that I and my Assembly colleagues will do everything that we can to mitigate the pain that you have found in the Executive Budget. Believe me, we know you score no points forcing people to receive treatment in a facility rather than in the comfort of their own homes.”   -New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
	“Everybody talks about getting people out of the hospital to recover in their homes, right? And yet, just saying it doesn’t get it done. You need the resources, you need the system.” -New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno
	“We can keep people in institutions for a shorter period of time, we can cut the length of stay in hospitals. But you know, when they do get out of the hospital, or when they are discharged from rehab in the nursing home, it doesn’t mean the human body gets better quicker. Somebody has to take care of those folks. And I know that’s you. And I know you can’t do it if you can’t pay your staff, if you can’t run your operation.” -New York State Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon
	“We will, on the Assembly side, buy back as much of the health cuts that are in the budget as we can find money for, and that will certainly include the home care sector, which we understand is proportionately the hardest hit sector in the health part of the budget.” -New York State Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried
	“Now if we are really interested in our seniors and those in need, what better, more compassionate way, and financially sound way, of taking care of those needs than taking care of them in their own homes. We are at a loss as to why you want to reduce home care. If you want to bring down costs across the state in Medicaid, you want to be able to increase home care and keep moms, dads, brothers, sisters, our children … at home where they have a better quality of life. It’s more compassionate, it gives them the quality of life that they deserve, and it’s the right thing to do.” -New York State Senate Committee on Aging Chairman Martin Golden
	« HCA President Joanne Cunningham
	» HCA Board Chairperson Charles Blum of Visiting Nurse Service of New York
HCA meets with Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon on Advocacy Day.
From left are: HCA President Joanne Cunningham, HCA Board Chairperson Charles Blum of Visiting Nurse Service of New York, HCA Board Second Vice Chairperson Michelle Mazzacco of Eddy Visiting Nurse Association, HCA Board Member Pamela Joachim of Montefiore Medical Center Home Health, HCA Board Member Orael Keenan of VNA of Long Island, Senator Hannon, HCA Board Member Bernhard Schiel of Bestcare, Inc., HCA Board Member Anne Calvo of Winthrop University Hospital Home Health, and HCA Board Member Peggy Donahue of St. Mary's Hospital For Children Home Care.
Important Advocacy Day Materials: A one-page (front and back) summary of HCA's 2008-09 Budget priorities Background on HCA's 2008 Budget and Advocacy Agenda Items HCA's State Budget Advocacy Toolkit (in the Press Room Plus section of HCA's website). HCA's Insert in the Legislative Gazette

Speaker Silver's office kindly offered the full text of his remarks to HCA

The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

The Homecare Association Of New York State

Thank you, President Cunningham, for that gracious introduction and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for that warm reception.

On behalf of the New York State Assembly, I am proud to welcome the Homecare Association of New York State (HCA) here to the Empire State Plaza.

Let me offer my personal welcome to your Board Chair, Charles Blum and to the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, which provides such great care to a number of my constituents in Lower Manhattan. It is good to have you here.

Let me also take a moment to thank each and every one of you for making the trip to Albany and for speaking on behalf of all of the home-care providers and all of the home-care clients who could not be here today to present their needs and their concerns to their government.

I also want to commend the Homecare Association on its wise choice of Joanne Cunningham to serve as your president.

I first became aware of this talented young leader when she served with the Healthcare Association of New York State, an organization that I and my Assembly colleagues have worked closely with over the years.

Joanne's expertise in health-care policy and her political background at both the federal and state levels will serve your Association very well.

Speaking for the Assembly Majority, Joanne, we look forward to working with you to help the HCA expand and enhance home-care services throughout New York State.

As you know, the Assembly Majority — with the leadership of our Health Committee Chairman, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried — has long supported community-based health care as well as programs that enable senior citizens to "age in place."

In fact, more than a decade ago, I authored and guided through to enactment the legislation that created the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities program, better known as "NORC," to enable our senior citizens to remain in their homes and receive the health and social services they require. It is legislation in which I take great pride.

Last year, "home care" was not an issue of contention during the budget negotiations.

This year, it is. So, I understand your being confused, since we know that Governor Spitzer has always indicated his support for community-based health care.

Yes, we must take into account the uncertain nature of the economy right now.

However, as I have stated many times over the years, government has certain moral obligations that it must fulfill regardless of the economic cycle.

Ensuring the health and well-being of working men and women, our children and our seniors is one of those moral obligations.

I'm not going to give a long speech about why home care is important and why it is an increasingly more popular option for certain treatments and rehabilitation, because you know better than I do.

I will promise you that I and my Assembly Majority colleagues will do everything that we can to mitigate the pain you have found in the Executive Budget.

Believe me, we understand that you score no points forcing people to receive treatment in a facility rather than in the comfort of their own homes.

I will also promise you that as New York State gradually moves toward a system of universal health care, the Assembly Majority will stand up for home care and ensure that you receive the respect and the support that you deserve.

Please, make the most of your day in Albany.

Remember that my door — and the doors of my Assembly Majority colleagues — are always open to the HCA.

Thank you for being here and keep up the good work.