Put NUMC ahead of partisan politics

When I was chairman of the Nassau Health Care Corp. board, I recommended in February 2020 downsizing Nassau University Medical Center while maintaining an emergency department and behavioral health services, closing the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, selling a portion of the property to retire debt and develop affordable housing, and entering affiliation agreements with neighboring health systems for specialty care. Through attrition, significant layoffs would have been avoided ["Make sweeping change at NUMC," Editorial, Sept. 20].

There was no meaningful response until the governor moved to reorganize the dysfunctional board and committed financial support, accompanied by a deadline for a viable plan of action.

New CEO Tom Stokes has hit the ground running. No plan will be perfect, nor will everyone agree with every element of it with multiple constituencies involved. But the plan must focus primarily on the community that depends on these healthcare services and the taxpayers who must support them.

Sitting on the sidelines and taking potshots based on misinformation, selective facts, or political posturing is not leadership. I know many of these facts firsthand, and they are not consistent with the story being presented by Nassau County's leadership.

Problems this serious are not solved by campaign promises. They are solved by leadership, difficult choices, professional management, and action.

Robert Detor, Port Washington

The Republican Party's absence from NUMC's planning process isn't neutral inaction — it's a choice with consequences, and voters should understand that ["GOP not part of NUMC planning," News, Sept. 20].

Imagine firefighters arriving at a burning building, learning who owns it and deciding not to go in because they dislike the landlord. We wouldn't call that principled. We'd call it dereliction of duty.

NUMC serves some of Nassau's most vulnerable residents — regardless of who currently sits on its board, or which party built the institution. Walking away from the planning table because you object to the people already inside doesn't protect the public; it abandons them.

Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has said he wants to govern for all of New York State's residents, not just those who voted for him or will vote for him. But governing isn't a slogan — it's demonstrated through the hard, unglamorous work of showing up, especially when the room is uncomfortable. If this is what "governing for everyone" looks like in practice — sitting out the planning for a public hospital rather than engaging with it — then the promise rings hollow.

Leadership means walking into the fire, not standing outside debating who started it.

Ken Feifer, Massapequa

Kennedy Center must stay a national icon

I was 6 years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated — the same age his daughter, Caroline, would turn five days later. I watched my parents and the nation grieve, and at night I lay awake thinking about how painful it must have been for Caroline to lose her father.

That memory is why the uncertainty surrounding the Kennedy Center is so disturbing ["Kennedy Center must notify of demolition," News, Sept. 18]. The center is not merely a building; it is a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and a symbol of the country's cultural life. Talk of demolishing it, including President Donald Trump's suggestion that it could be "ripped down," deserves public outrage.

I would like to hear how Trump supporters justify the idea. Republican leaders should defend the institutions entrusted to the nation, regardless of who occupies the White House.

If a memorial as significant as the Kennedy Center can be treated as expendable, what national landmark could be next?

Teresa O'Halloran, East Islip

Women's gold victory deserved big splash

Since Team USA's gold medal-winning FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup final was given a brief buried in the middle of the sports section, let me fill in readers on how momentous this win was ["U.S. wins fifth straight World Cup," Sports, In Brief, Sept. 14].

Team USA women's basketball is first in the FIBA rankings. The team has won eight consecutive gold medals and, with this victory, five straight World Cup titles.

This tournament made history on the individual level, too. Jackie Young became the first player to win titles at every level of competitive basketball — high school, NCAA, WNBA, Olympic, and FIBA World Cup.

There's also a New York connection. Seven New York Liberty players competed in Berlin, representing six countries. Team USA's Breanna Stewart, the tournament's most valuable player, is a New York State native.

Lauri Levenberg, Greenlawn