Silver, WNY Assembly Majority Delegation Announce $10m for Buffalo Life Sciences, $750,000 for Kaleida Workforce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2004

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was joined today by members of the Western New York Assembly delegation in pledging $10 million in state funds to support the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex and in announcing a $750,000 grant to Kaleida Health to help stabilize its 10,000-member workforce.

During a morning news conference at Kaleida Health in Buffalo, Silver and his legislative colleagues presented large mock checks in the respective amounts to Dr. Bruce Holm, executive director of the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences at the University of Buffalo, and to Kaleida Health CEO William D. McGuire.

"The elite bio-research institutions that comprise the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus give us the brain power for a burgeoning life-sciences economy," Silver said. "What is necessary now is the investment to address capital construction needs and to attract top-notch people to this high-tech corridor."

Silver praised the local Assembly delegation - Assembly Majority Leader Paul Tokasz and Assembly members Robin Schimminger, chair of the Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry Committee, Sam Hoyt, Crystal Peoples, Brian Higgins, Dick Smith, Francine DelMonte and Bill Parment -- for their "leadership and persuasiveness" in support of the investment.

"On behalf of my Western New York Assembly colleagues, I am pleased to announce that we are investing $10 million in infrastructure, equipment and related laboratory renovations to recruit leaders in science who will spearhead the continued growth of the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex," Silver said.

"This announcement signifies the next phase in government-academia partnership to utilize university research and development as an economic engine in Upstate New York," Dr. Holm said. "These funds will be used for the all-important recruitment portion of this endeavor and will allow us to make expanded use of facilities here that already have been so generously supported by the Assembly."

In presenting the "symbolic check" to Dr. Holm, Dr. David Hohn, Dr. John Simpson and Dr. George Detritta, who joined the news conference representing the institutions that have collaborated in forming the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus, Silver noted the success of U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton in securing $20 million in federal funds earmarked for the operating and faculty recruitment needs of the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex.

Silver also called on Gov. George Pataki to match the Legislature's support for the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex. He said estimates in jobs created, including faculty, technical support staff and post-doctoral students, reach as high a 330, if combined state and federal funds to support both capital and operating goals are attained. During the next five years, Silver said this high-tech job creation is expected to generate a substantial ripple effect in the regional economy, spurring additional job growth.

"These leaders standing here today are the innovators and the partners," Silver said. "They are the best. They give us the comparative advantage in the life sciences. They are the reason we've invested millions in the University of Buffalo, in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, in that unique partnership that is the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus. These are investments that will help make this region a world leader in biotechnology."

State Funds Aimed At Stabilizing Kaleida Health-Care Workforce

While stressing the "potential inherent in bioscience," Silver said he and his Assembly colleagues also remained committed "to ensuring that Western New Yorkers and all the citizens of this state have access to the kind of high-quality health care provided at Kaleida Health."

"The Kaleida workforce is skilled, experienced and knowledgeable," Silver said in presenting the enlarged mock $750,000 check to Kaleida Health CEO McGuire. "These dedicated men and women are the backbone of the largest health-care system in Western New York and a significant professional asset. Today, we are acting to secure their special talents into the future and to ensure the training and expertise they possess continue to benefit all who live, work and raise their families in this great region of our state."

Silver thanked state Senator Dale Volker, who also participated in the news conference, for his announcement of a matching $750,000 from the Senate to help stabilize the Kaleida workforce, bringing total state support to $1.5 million.

The legislators noted that in providing the grant, available from state Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) funds, they were seeking to assist in the financial restructuring being undertaken by Kaleida. They stressed the importance of contributing to that effort, which includes a refinancing initiative through the state Dormitory Authority, in order to assure the people of the region they will continue to receive the best in medical and health-care services.

"Today's announcement of $1.5 million in HCRA funding is the result of a collaborative effort among Kaleida Health, our partners in labor and the Western New York legislative delegation," McGuire said. "I would especially like to thank the New York State Assembly and Senate leadership for recognizing the sizeable challenges we face in the turnaround of this health-care system. Their efforts will directly benefit our most valuable asset, and that is the Kaleida Health employees."

"The Kaleida Health Care System is critical to the Western New York economy," said Majority Leader Tokasz. "Despite extremely challenging times facing the health-care industry, Kaleida has worked to improve their operations and to maintain a quality workforce. Speaker Silver's commitment will assist the Kaleida Health Care System in continuing this effort and allow them to improve further the care provided to the residents of the Western New York community."

"Hospitals and health-care systems are only as good as the people who staff them," said Assemblyman Schimminger, who also is chair of the Western New York Assembly delegation. "This grant will help retain and attract employees who are vital to quality health care in our region of the state."

"The workforce that staffs our area's medical institutions is the heart of the Western New York health-care delivery system," Assemblyman Hoyt said. "Today's announcement will help ensure that these committed health-care professionals remain here to serve our communities and continue to be the medical lifeline we are accustomed to and need."

"We in Western New York are fortunate enough to have some of the best medical facilities in the nation," Assemblywoman Peoples said. "This grant will enhance Kaleida's ability to attract and retain skilled and dedicated professionals to deliver health-care services that we depend on."

"As an advocate of improving health-care services, I am pleased to join my Democratic Assembly colleagues in securing this much-needed funding," Assemblyman Smith said.

"We are proud of the world-class institutions that comprise Kaleida Health, the largest health-care system in Western New York and a center for world-renowned research, and of the men and women who care for the one million patients who enter Kaleida hospitals each year," Silver said. "We are especially proud today to be helping secure a Kaleida workforce upon which the people of Western New York can continue to depend for years to come."

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