Nassau University Medical Center’s newly created advisory board voted to remove hospital CEO Megan Ryan on Tuesday, June 10, appointing Northwell Health executive Richard Becker to replace her as interim president.
Ryan announced last week she would be resigning from her role, but was not set to leave until July 20.
“Dr. Becker understands what it takes to turn around a challenged institution while keeping the focus on patients and quality of care,” Stuart Rabinowitz, the hospital’s newly appointed board chair, wrote in a statement. “This evening’s actions, including the appointment of Dr. Becker and the engagement of nationally respected legal, financial, and search advisors, reflect our commitment to restoring stability and building a successful future for this essential public hospital.”
The board placed Ryan on administrative leave effective immediately and also voted to hire three private firms to support the hospital’s transition: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips will be the hospital’s new legal counsel, Deloitte will be its financial and operational consultant and Korn Ferry will lead a search for a permanent CEO and general counsel.
The vote to remove Ryan comes after the state Legislature voted to give Gov. Kathy Hochul effective control of the board, resulting in the appointment of Rabinowitz as board chair.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced last week he would not make the two appointments to the hospital’s board. He pledged to take local control of the hospital and described the state’s moves as “subterfuge.”
The Nassau County Interim Finance Authority also stepped up its oversight of the fiscally troubled Nassau University Medical Center on June 2 as an outgoing NIFA board member joined the new NUMC board.
The five-member NIFA board unanimously approved a measure to enact a control period over NUMC, requiring that the East Meadow hospital’s board submit additional contracts to NIFA for approval. The fiscal watchdog’s increased scrutiny of NUMC came less than a week after New York State replaced the NUMC board.
“This is a mandatory requirement,” Richard Kessel, who chairs the NIFA board, said before the vote. “It’s not something that’s optional. The numbers that have been presented here tonight automatically trigger the imposition of a control period.”
The state’s recently enacted amendment to NIFA requires that the board enact a control period if NUMC has an operating deficit of more than 1%. NUMC had an 11% deficit of $77 million in 2023, which grew to $83 million last year, and is expected to continue to be greater than 1% by the end of this fiscal year, NIFA officials said. Kessel noted that the NUMC control period is distinct from the ongoing NIFA control period in which the board has added oversight over the county budget.
The move comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul made two final appointments to the Nassau Health Care Corporation Board on June 3. These were Lisa Zakiya Newland, who the state Senate recommended, and Rory Lancman, who the state Assembly recommended.
“Public hospitals are essential pillars of our communities, and Nassau University Medical Center deserves a governance structure that reflects its critical mission,” Hochul said. “With these two appointments, made in coordination with the legislative leaders, the new NHCC Board is further positioned to tackle long-standing challenges and deliver better outcomes for both patients and taxpayers.”
Newland, professor and chairperson of the Department of Social Work at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, is a clinical social worker who has worked in community engagement, mental health administration. and educational leadership. She serves as convener for Black Family Summit, Inc. and president of the Nassau Suffolk chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers.
“To be part of a board at this time, in this constitution of the board, to really think about a sustainable future for Nassau University Medical Center, is a great use of my expertise, my skills and my interests,” Newland said, noting that the appointment came as a surprise and that she is grateful for the opportunity.
Newland said her expertise in social work also includes the macro level, which looks at organizations, systems, communities and the intersection with social work practices. She said social work has a value base that aligns with her personal and professional ideals, including the “dignity and worth of individuals.” This includes what Newland said is creating systems that honor all of NUMC’s stakeholders, from patients to staff, and is carried throughout all of its actions. At the start of taking on this new role, Newland said her focus will be on listening and assessing the issues at hand, while engaging with stakeholders.
“With the addition of Dr. Lisa Newland, the NHCC Board reflects the diversity of talents and dedication needed to meet the moment,” state Sen. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury) said.
Lancman, who resides in Great Neck, said the appointment comes as an honor and an enormous responsibility.
“We’re trying to do nothing less than save this public hospital, which is the only safety net hospital in Nassau County,” Lancman said.
Lancman, a former state Assembly member and New York City Council member in Queens, is no stranger to managing public hospitals. Lancman previously chaired the Queens Hospital Community Advisory Board, which was under stress amid threats by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani seeking to privatize the hospital.
For the past year, Lancman has served as vice president of the NIFA, a state-appointed control board that has overseen the county’s finances for decades due to Nassau’s long history of budgetary mismanagement. He said for the past year he has been “living and breathing the NUMC crisis” while serving on this board. He said his prior experience will aid in addressing these issues.
“Our goal is a financially viable hospital that meets the public health needs of Nassau County residents who don’t really have other healthcare options, and that we achieve those goals in a way that is transparent, accountable and includes community input,” Lancman said, who resigned from his role with NIFA to serve on the NHCC board to prevent a conflict of interest.
Kessel noted that NIFA’s relationship with the prior NUMC board was “less than stellar,” he looks forward to working with the new board, chaired by former Hofstra University President Stewart Rabinowitz. Kessel said he believes the control period will be “a positive step, not something that’s adversarial.”
Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced last week that he plans to sue the state over the changes at NUMC, refused to appoint anyone to the board, and called the changes “illegal,” which a spokesman for the governor’s office called “ridiculous.”
