NYSNA endorses Todd Kaminsky, an ally for Long Island healthcare

Todd Kaminsky has been a New York State Assembly member only since fall 2014 but has in a very short time delivered big for South Shore residents still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. He helped speed up reimbursement for housing reconstruction and to restore healthcare services following the storm’s closure of Long Beach Hospital.

He is now running to represent Long Island’s 9th New York State Senate District, which was held by the former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos prior to his recent conviction. Long Beach, a barrier island off Long Island’s south shore, has a year-round population of 33,000 that swells considerably in the summer months.

February 16 was Nurses Night at Kaminsky’s campaign office. Marie Milano, RN, NYSNA member at Franklin Hospital, was among the NYSNA volunteers who called prospective voters and urged support for Kaminsky in the April special election. “Too often, nurses don’t know how much influence we have. People listen to us! It’s so important that we use our voices on issues that affect our patients and our ability to do our jobs well.”

Work to be done

Kaminsky told NY Nurse, “We still have work to do in Long Beach. Emergency room services have been restored, but residents still lack a full service hospital. We’ve got to ensure that the community has a say in the types of services available to them, and that caregivers have the support they need to deliver it.”

In addition to his efforts on Long Island, Kaminsky demonstrated his commitment to the well being of all New Yorkers with his vote in favor of the New York Health Act (A05062) during the Assembly’s May 2015 floor vote.

“Too many decisions about healthcare are being made on the basis of profit. It’s so important to have someone in the legislature that we know is willing to stand by us and behind us on issues that we care about as nurses,” said Ms. Milano. “We all need to be working to elect people like Todd Kaminsky who will put patients before profits.”

Kaminsky is thrilled to have NYSNA’s endorsement and pledged to live up to the nurses’ expectations: “For too long, the needs of nurses have been ignored. You will have a fighter in me.”