Editorial
Failing the most vulnerable
Like an iceberg, the most damning details
of Attorney General Letitia James’
report on COVID-19 nursing home
resident deaths in New York lie below the
surface of the most prominent points.
The state Health Department, as James reported,
undercounted the COVID-19 fatalities
in New York —a subject that opponents of Governor
Andrew Cuomo have tried to weaponize
against him in recent months. The report also
found that the state’s own guidance for admitting
COVID-19 positive patients into nursing
homes may have contributed to the spread.
It may be tempting for cynical partisans to
read the report and cry out “I told you so!”, but
not so fast. The fact that the undercounting
happened isn’t necessarily evidence of criminal
wrongdoing — at least not yet. In many ways,
the fi ndings about the nursing homes themselves
are far more horrifi c. Too many facilities,
according to James, did not comply with
infection protocols — which caused a rapid
spread of the illness among staff and patients.
Workers lacked the proper PPE and testing.
The lowest-rated nursing homes, under
U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare
Services Staffi ng reviews, had the highest
number of COVID-19 deaths. The current
state reimbursement system, James noted, also
allowed unscrupulous nursing home owners to
fi nancially profi t off the pandemic rather than
focus on protecting their clients and workers.
James’ report must propel an effort to hold
those responsible for this situation to account,
and to dramatically reform the New York nursing
care industry, across the board.
State lawmakers should pursue an independent
investigation into state COVID-19
policy as well as the actions of nursing homes
during the pandemic. The attorney general
should continue her investigation and, where
appropriate, seek civil or criminal legal action.
Finally, Albany lawmakers must pass in this
session comprehensive nursing home reform
that sets higher safety standards and eliminates
the ability of unscrupulous operators to make
a quick buck off minimal standards of care.
The COVID-19 pandemic, horrifi c as it has
been, has also proved enlightening in exposing
long-ignored societal problems. It’s launched
movements to fi nally end societal inequality
that has festered for generations, and blunted
progress. If we’re honest with ourselves, we
would realize that New York has been failing
the most vulnerable New Yorkers for years.
We must now confront that inconvenient
truth, and take the needed measures to prevent
future tragedies.
Op-ed
Bronx Community College students outdoors on campus.
America must work to
heal — CUNY can help
BY FELIX V. MATOS RODRIGUEZ
I was profoundly moved by the messages
of unity and compassion delivered by
President Joe Biden during his inaugural
address on Jan. 20.
Weeks after a violent insurrection in the
U.S. Capitol provided an infl ection point in
the tumultuous and divisive chapter that has
marked our recent history, Biden spoke of
the need to heal.
The president urged Americans to embrace
the diffi cult process of engaging one another,
putting our differences aside and trying to fi nd
even a small patch of common ground. In that
way, he said, we will begin repairing the fi ssures
and divisions that have roiled this nation.
The City University of New York, the most
racially and ethnically diverse University in the
country and arguably the world, has long been
a home to such helpful dialogue and a beacon
to the honest exchange of ideas, a place where
students, faculty and staff are encouraged to
work together, fi nd common ground and forge
a more civil and symbiotic community.
I’m proud that CUNY continues to develop
programs that foster a climate of openness
and mutual respect among people of different
backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.
The pursuit of tolerance and respect has
always been a key tenet of CUNY’s mission,
and it has fueled my own work as a professor,
college president and chancellor.
Today, thanks to fi nancial support from
New York City Council Speaker Corey
Johnson, CERRU is on track to double the
number of CUNY campuses it can reach.
Through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
(DEI) Incubator, CERRU is helping our
campus communities to promote anti-racist
practices and cross-cultural communication.
The avenues are many in which CUNY
can generate awareness and fl uency on a
range of equity-driven, social justice issues.
CUNY’s LGBTQI Student Leadership
Program, brings together motivated students
for a yearlong training experience in leadership
and personal development, civic and
community engagement, and social networking
opportunities with LGBTQI industry and
community leaders.
Our University-wide Black Male Initiative
supports the inclusion and educational success
of African, Black American, Caribbean
and Latino/Hispanic males, who are underrepresented
in higher education.
In 2013, CUNY began a Biennial CUNY
Faculty Diversity & Inclusion Conference that
aimed to help faculty constructively address
sensitive issues surrounding race and ethnicity,
sexuality and gender, age, disability, language
and religion, as well as those of cultural
competency, pedagogy for ESL students and
unconscious bias regarding economic status.
These valuable initiatives at CUNY are
all aimed at creating a more tolerant and
inclusive climate, an objective that is helpful
on multiple fronts. CUNY’s commitment to
diversity and access extends to all aspects of
the University, from its student enrollment
efforts to its approach to faculty hiring, and
to the scores of services that CUNY provides
to advance and sustain its community.
In his inauguration speech, President
Biden ticked off a litany of challenges the
country now faces, and it was a daunting
list. Only by showing respect and listening to
one another, he said, do we stand a chance of
writing a new chapter in the story of America.
That’s a prescription for healing and
a recipe for success. It’s one that CUNY
strongly endorses and has long practiced.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez is the chancellor
of The City University of New York
(CUNY), the largest urban public university
system in the United States.
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