A protest of over 40 people took place outside Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island, opposing proposed Medicaid cuts included in President Trump’s healthcare reform, known as the Big Beautiful Bill. Healthcare workers from various departments, alongside union members, raised concerns about how these cuts would affect funding for hospitals that rely heavily on Medicaid. With the bill's potential passage through the Senate, the crowd expressed fear for local low-income families and vulnerable patients, highlighting the critical need for Medicaid in supporting healthcare access.
"These poor people need their Medicaid. I don't get it," said Diane Donaghy, president of the New York State Nurses Association at RUMC. "Staten Island cannot afford to not have two hospitals... We need those funds, so I don't know why they're [the government] playing games."
"We do have a diverse population, and they are low-income families. I have seen patients come with special needs patients, families with special needs children, who have had their Medicaid cut already," Sonia Mora-Santos explained. "It impacts their healthcare; it impacts their follow up appointments with their specialty doctors... If we have these cuts, then it's too much of a cost to cover for a family who doesn't already have it."
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