BP Diaz and elected offi cials demand
transparency on selection of new Lincoln CEO
PROVIDED
Senator Alessandra Biaggi Courtesy of Facebook
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 12-18, 2021 41
BY JASON COHEN
As the South Bronx was
ravaged by COVID-19 Lincoln
Hospital has been there for the
community.
Yet, when it came to hire a
new CEO after the departure
of Milton Nuñez, no one from
Lincoln contacted elected offi -
cials for input. Pols are angry
that not only were they left out
of the process, but Nunez’ replacement
is not even from the
borough.
In February, it was announced
that Cristina Contreras,
executive director of NYC
Health + Hospitals/North Central
Bronx will be promoted to
CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/
Metropolitan in East Harlem.
Christopher Roker, who
is CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/
Metropolitan, will serve
as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/
Lincoln. The appointments
are effective April 1.
Borough President Reuben
Diaz Jr. and fellow Bronx lawmakers
expressed discontent
with Lincoln last month.
“We’re here today because
we’re angry,” Diaz said. “We’re
here today because we’re upset.
We want to call out Mitchell
Katz (President and CEO
of NYC Health + Hospitals)
for their hypocrisy. Now more
than ever we need leadership
at the hospital.”
Diaz and his colleagues did
not understand why Contreras
of Morris Park, who has been
with NYC Health + Hospitals
for 25 years, was not promoted
at Lincoln.
As the city slowly recovers
from the pandemic and gets
vaccinated, health care will be
looked at like security was post
9/11, Diaz explained. With this
in mind, someone like Contreras
who knows the Bronx
should have been the person
for the job.
“She could easily be someone
who could be in charge of
Lincoln Hospital,” he stressed.
“Why send her to Manhattan
and send somebody that doesn’t
understand us here.”
Councilman Rafael Salamanca
knows the hospital
well not only because he represents
the area, but Lincoln was
where his father spent his last
days as he died from COVID-19
last year. He praised the doctors
and nurses for the work
they do.
Over the past two years he
has allocated nearly $4 million
to Lincoln, including $2.8 million
for a nurse call button in
January. Yet, like Diaz he is angry
that they were not included
in the hiring process for the
new CEO.
“It was all good a week ago
when they needed us for capital
dollars,” he commented.
“When decisions are being
made speak to us.”
Assemblywoman Nathalia
Fernandez questioned why a
woman and a Latina was overlooked.
She noted how Lincoln
execs often “blow up their
phones for money,” yet left
them out of this process.
“Cristina Contreras deserves
this position,” she
stated. “She has gone above
BY BRONX TIMES
Senator Alessandra
Biaggi announced Tuesday
she is joining Leaders for Climate
Accountability, a new
nationwide network of public
offi cials who support holding
corporate polluters accountable
for their role in creating
the climate crisis.
“I’m thrilled to join Leaders
for Climate Accountability
because I’m committed
to holding polluters accountable
for their role in perpetuating
the climate crisis,”
Biaggi said. “New Yorkers
need leaders who are courageous
enough to make the
systemic changes we need
to protect our planet and our
communities from climate
change.”
Leaders for Climate Accountability
announced an
inaugural class of 68 state
and local offi cials in 18
states, with plans to expand
membership to other public
offi cials committed to three
core policy principles:
Holding the fossil fuel industry
accountable, because
those who are most responsible
for the climate crisis and
its impacts should pay their
fair share of its costs,
Defending local democracy
and access to the courts,
because communities facing
ongoing and imminent harm
deserve the opportunity to
seek justice and
Putting constituents and
their safety and security at
the forefront of policy solutions,
because taxpayers
should not be stuck footing
the entire bill for climate adaptation
and resilience.
The network is launching
as a growing number of
states and localities are taking
or considering legal action
to recover the spiraling
local costs of climate change
damages — including sealevel
rise, wildfi res, fl oods,
and supercharged storms —
from major oil and gas companies
who knew their products
would cause the climate
crisis but lied to the public
and opposed climate action
for decades. The new effort is
being facilitated by The Center
for Climate Integrity, a
nonprofi t that works to help
communities hold corporate
polluters accountable for
the massive costs of climate
change.
Background on Climate
Liability Cases:
Since 2017, 25 communities,
including the states of Connecticut,
Delaware, Massachusetts,
Minnesota and Rhode Island;
the District of Columbia
and more than a dozen city and
county governments in California,
Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland,
New Jersey, New York,
South Carolina and Washington
have brought lawsuits under
different claims to hold the
oil and gas industry accountable
for deceiving the public
about climate change. Learn
about those cases here.
Biaggi joins new nationwide coalition to
hold climate polluters accountable