WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR MEDIC. Special to WPCNR. October 7, 2004: A special October 15 forum on the impact of the recent termination of Pinnacle Healthcare’s member hospital contracts with United Healthcare on businesses and employees, due to United refusing to pay up to the level of hospital costs, will be held by the Westchester County Association at 8:30 A.M., October 15, in the auditorium of the Reckson Metro Center, 360 Hamilton Avenue. The Chief Executive Officers of the Pennacle Healthcare member hospitals will participate and are expected to detail how the withholding of health care coverage is affecting their ability to deliver and get paid by patients for hospital services.

Pinnacle Healthcare Inc.,  is a consortium of five Westchester area hospitals, Hudson Valley Hospital Center (Cortlandt Manor), The Mount Vernon Hospital, St. John’s Riverside Hospital (Yonkers), Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester (New Rochelle) and Westchester Medical Center (Valhalla). The five hospitals terminated Pinnacle hospital contracts with United Healthcare effective September 25, 2004.

 

Thousands of members of United Healthcare who use a Pinnacle hospital are affected by the move. 

Pinnacle, in a statement released September 24,  said that it has been attempting to negotiate a new contract with United Healthcare for more than a year. However, the negotiations have proved unsuccessful.  

 

“This is a very unfortunate situation that will affect not only our hospitals, but our patients and our physicians,” said Helen Turchioe, Pinnacle’s Executive Director. 

 

“In order to maintain the high quality level of care that our patients deserve, we must be compensated fairly for the care that we provide.”

 

At the forum, CEOs of the five hospitals will discuss how members of United Health Care are dealing with their hospitals.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. October 6, 2004, UPDATED October 7, 12:00 A.M. E.D.T.: Nathan Lewin, principal of Lewin & Lewin, Columbia Law Professor and described as one of the two most influential attorneys in the nation’s capitol, was in the process of filing an emergency motion with the United States Supreme Court Wednesday requesting the country’s highest court grant a stay, (pending appeal), of the 6-month jail sentence handed out to White Plains resident, Elena Sassower, a resident of Lake Street, for “Disruption of Congress.” Ms. Sassower is serving her 101st Day in jail today. Mr. Lewin’s motion is expected to be filed Monday in the United States Supreme Court. It is possible that Ms. Sassower may be freed as early as Tuesday.

 

White Plains Number One Political Prisoner.

Elena Sassower of Lake Street, White Plains

Day 101

Photo from Center of Judicial Accountability.

The motion was being prepared by Mr. Lewin and his daughter Wednesday, after the three-judge Appellate Court in Washington denied Ms. Sassower’s latest appeal for a stay last week. Doris Sassower, who with her daughter, founded the Center for Judicial Accountability in White Plains, was hopeful of swift Supreme Court action to free her daughter.

 

Going to the Top Court in the Land

 

Miles Ehrenkranz, spokesperson for the Center for Judicial Accountability explained to WPCNR yesterday the plight of Ms. Sassower:

 

“Papers are currently being prepared (Wednesday)  in light of the most recent rejection (of Elena’s Sassower’s request for a stay) despite the late-breaking news that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has consented a hundred per cent  to release Elena from prison. The three judge panel said no and denied her release, gave it to Judge Brian Holman, and he said no, without a reason.”

 

Ehrenkranz said that at this point the world-famous law firm of Lewin & Lewin, has consented to take up Ms. Sassower’s cause.

 

“The firm of Lewin & Lewin, which helped free Nelson Mandela (in 1990). They normally command $1,000 an hour and they are taking Elena’s case pro bono. They are preparing papers for an emergency motion for it (the request for a stay pending appeal) for it to be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, “ Ehrankrenz reports to WPCNR.

 

Petition of 1,000 signatures circulated.

 

The Center for Judicial Accountability is circulating an electronic petition through their website, www.petitiononline.com/elena  ,  demanding Ms. Sassower’s release, pending her appeal.

 

 

Ehrenkranz said of the petition: “That petition has also been hand-carried throughout New York City, and other major cities across the country, by members of the family, members of the organization and we’re nearing 1,000 signatures. Among the people to receive hard copies of said signatures on that petition, are the President of the United States, Senator John Kerry, the D.C. Court of Appeals, the United States Supreme Court, and many humanitarian organizations, such as Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union, and National Amnesty.”

 

Open Your Mouth in My  Senate Judiciary Committee and You Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Get to Call an Attorney, and Do Not Get a Stay Pending Appeal.

 

Ms. Sassower was charged when she asked to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on one of President George Bush’s appointees to the federal bench, whom the Center for Judicial Accountabilty felt was unqualified. The hearing was closed, and Ms. Sassower asked politely if she could speak, and the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Saxby Chambliss  promptly directed capitol police to arrest her. 

 

She was jailed and charged with disruption of congress. She was tried and convicted in April of this year, and her sentence doubled by Judge Holeman June 28, (her sentencing date), when she refused to write a letter of contrition for her behavior and submit to the conditions of a suspended sentence. Those conditions would have prohibited her from advocating before congress or government institutions, in return for probation.

 

Senators Clinton and Schumer, New York delegation Do Not Raise an eyebrow.

 

To date, Mr. Ehrenkranz says no rights organization or political figure has professed concern over the treatment of Ms. Sassower,  (Though many New York political figures wrote letters on behalf of convicted and incarcerated State Senator Guy Vellella who extorted bribes, was convicted, sentenced to a year and was released this week after three months in jail.)

 

Local Media Ignore Sassower in the Slammer.

 

Strangely,  the New York media which usually thrives  on reporting  the slightest inconvenience visited on terrorist suspects and unruly protestors, or accused politicians, and public figures in sexual indiscretions as ignored the Sassower matter.

 

Despite the widespread notification of Ms. Sassower’s jailing by congress, only one news story resulted in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The television news show 20/20 rejected coverage, as did CBS 60 Minutes.

 

The New York Times and the Gannett Journal-News have not carried the story either, nor have Channel 7, 4, 2, and 5, and News 12 in the local area, or any radio talk show. The New York Law Journal has run a story, WPCNR believes. The only news media that has reported this story locally is WPCNR, which is puzzling.

 

 The London Times however, finds this story very intriguing and is now in the process of preparing a story on the Sassower matter.

 

Ms. Sassower’s mother reports that the Rabbi of Temple Israel in White Plains had written a letter on her daughter’s behalf to the three-judge panel. (Elena Sassower teaches at Temple Israel.) She also instructs at another temple in New York City where the Rabbi also wrote a letter extolling her character and requesting the three-judge panel grant her a stay.

 

The Advocate Steps Up

 

Nathan Lewin and his daughter, Alyza, are the principals of Lewin & Lewin, and Mr. Lewin delayed a trip to Israel this week to prepare the motion for a stay to the Supreme Court.

 

Mr. Lewin is described in a 1999 article by The Jerusalem Post as having been chosen by The Wasingtonian magazine as the No. 2 on the list of 50 Best Lawyers in Washington in 1992. Lewin was ranked behind Robert Bennett as Number One.

 

The Post notes he has represented Richard Nixon, Ed Meese, Meir Kahane, and Jodie Foster in the John Hinckley Case. He is reported on a social footing with two of the Supreme Court justices, Anton Scalia and Stephen Breyer.

 

Lewin, The Post reports has argued 27 cases before the Supreme Court, and is a professor at Columbia Law School, and has written many articles on Supreme Court law.

 

Mrs. Sassower said hopefully a release and grant of a stay could come at any time, if the Supreme Court chose. Mr. Ehrenkranz said late Wednesday afternoon that the motion on Elena Sassower’s behalf would be filed Monday at the Supreme Court, and he said a stay and Ms. Sassower’s subesequent release might come as early as Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

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WPCNR FOR THE RECORD. October 6, 2004: The New York Presbyterian Hospital has issued the following statement commenting on the Monday evening 5-2 decision of the Common Council renewing their site plan for another year to build the proton accelerator/biomedial research building on their White Plains campus:

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital appreciates the interest and support demonstrated by the Mayor and White Plains Common Council members with regard to our permit extension.  The Hospital has dedicated an enormous amount of time, money and effort in meeting the stringent conditions and requirements related to bringing this project to fruition.  We have worked diligently to meet what are inarguably the most extensive and far-reaching set of environmental standards ever applied to a project in White Plains.  This has been a time-consuming effort, but we are confident that the project justifies our efforts, and it will be of great benefit to the White Plains community.  We look forward to continuing to move forward with this exciting plan.

 

 

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WPCNR PHILADELPHIA INQUISITOR. By John F. Bailey. October 5, 2004: WPCNR has learned that the University of Pennyslvania Penn Health System  in Philadelphia expects to break ground on a 1,000,000 square foot facility in July, 2005, beginning with construction of a proton accelerator treatment center to start the project. The new proton accelerator will be a competitor to the New York Presbyterian Hospital proposed facility, because it is within 90 miles of  the NYPH White Plains campus, and the Philadelphia facility expects to be treating patients by mid-2008.

 

The proton accelerator planned to begin construction in Philadelphia duplicates the on-the-drawing-boards treatment center planned by New York Presbyterian Hospital, the site plan extension for which, was approved Monday evening at the White Plains Common Council meeting.

 

Nothing Has Changed?

 

During the Monday evening meeting it was cogently argued by Commissioner of Planning Susan Habel and four Councilpersons (Arnold Bernstein, Benjamin Boykin, Larry Delgado, and Robert Greer) buttressed their approval of a site plan extension on the premise that “nothing had changed” in conditions in the city environment since the last proton accelerator site plan renewal was approved last year. They also agreed with the Planning Department spin that the time the New York Presbyterian Hospital has had to take in drawing up approach road, landscape, storm water retention pools was a situation caused by the Common Council and the Department of Environmental Conservation storm water retention standards.

 

Meanwhile, at a hospital a mere 90 miles away…

 

WPCNR, in an interview with Susan Phillips, Chief of Staff for Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, has also learned that the facility has been in the planning for the last two years, and is expected to be completed in 2008. Phillips said Penn Medicine is in the final stages of selecting the vendor  the proton accelerator.

 

Asked where the proton accelerator expected to draw patients from, Phillips said the facility would be the only proton accelerator in the “Northeast Corridor,” but also expected to draw patients “from all over.”

 

Ms. Philips declined to discuss the costs of the facility with CNR, citing the sensitivity of the proton accelerator supplier selection process she described as being in its final stages.

 

Penn’s Accelerator May be treating while NYPH model may still be under construction

 

Ms. Philips reports the Penn  proton accelerator construction is on target for a mid-to-late 2008 opening.

 

 “A proton accelerator will be acquired by Penn. We have not decided on the vendor yet. We are constructing it as part of a major ambulatory care center. It is a three-year construction period at this moment. We have already started clearing the site and the construction will commence as soon as the site is cleared. I’d say, in the next six to nine months (July, 2005).”

 

Funding Not Clear at this time. Vendors Vie.

 

WPCNR asked about how the proton accelerator (estimated by vendors Hitachi and ACCEL to be in the neighborhood of $160 Million), would be funded, Phillips said

 

“We’re funding it, obviously, a significant portion will come from our own operations and fundraising,” Phillips said.

 

Asked if the funding would consider a supplier who also invests in their own projects, such as Hitachi, (which is building the M.D. Anderson proton accelerator in Houston, and holds a financial stake in the facility), Phillips said,  “ I’m speaking about the entire facility, not just the proton department, if you will, within this large facility. Once a vendor  (for the proton accelerator) is selected, we’ll have more definite information on those points.”

 

WPCNR asked if ACCEL of Germany, Udo Klein’s company putting together the proton accelerator for the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center in Munich, was being considered by Penn, Phillips said she could not comment on that. Asked what type of accelerator (cyclotron or synchrotron ) Penn Medicine was looking at, Phillips declined: “I’m not going to comment on any specifics. We’re in a very intense phase right now, I hope you’ll understand.”

 

Asked the cost of the proton facility, she said, “that depends a lot on equipment. That will become clear shortly.”

 

The Selection of the Proton Accelerator Vendor Process

 

She said Penn expects to select the proton accelerator supplier within the next six months.

 

WPCNR asked if Ms. Phillips had taken a look at the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center in Munich, Germany, under construction. She answered, “Yes, we’ve been touring. I can’t really go into greater detail. We have been to several proton facilities.”

 

I inquired,  “But not the Munich one?”

 

Ms. Phillips laughingly said, “I’m not going to go there, John.”

 

Walk-in Center

 

Commenting in general on the new facility Penn is about to start, Ms. Phillips said:

“It’s going to be a center for advanced medicine We’re very excited about it. It’s going to be adjacent to our hospital quite an excellent location for the kind of care we deliver at Penn. It’s (going to be) across the street from HUB (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), our main teaching hospital.”

 

(The Penn Health system flagship hospital is the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania), and is rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked # 3 in the nation for receipt of National Institute of Health research funds, and #4 in the nation in U.S. News ranking of top research-oriented medical schools, according to the Penn Health System website, www.uphs.upenn.edu )

 

The Penn Ambulatory Care Center which will house the proton accelerator is a much larger more detailed project than the New York Presbyterian Hospital Facility and has taken three years from conception to imminent start of construction.

 

Phillips aid the new facility would house all Penn Hospital’s  advanced out-patient treatment centers.  She reports the proton accelerator facility will be “contiguous” to it:  “We’re building a complete ambulatory care center in four phases, and when it’s completely built-out it will be one million square feet.”

 

Ms. Phillips declined to say how many patients she expected the new facility to attract.

 

Three Years in the Making.

 

On the planning stage for the facility, Ms. Phillips commented, “The planning for the building has been about three years. The earnest planning for the site and the building has been the last 24 months. Once we select a vendor they will be intimately involved (in the proton accelerator construction design).”

 

What marketing area would the proton facility be serving, WPCNR asked.

 

Phillips characterized the Penn Proton Accelerator this way:  “This will be the only facility of this kind in the northeastern corridor, MidAtlantic, but patients who want to come to Penn Care will come from all over. “

 

A Treatment of Great Worth.

 

I asked if she had any medical information on the accelerator and its medical performance as a cancer treatment.

 

She said, “We’re not going to making statements at all until we finished the vendor selection. We’re at the stage where we want to be focused on selecting the right vendor. Obviously we would not be moving forward if we didn’t think it was a  treatment therapy of great worth.”