Buffalo, N.Y.-based John R. Oishei Children's Hospital has landed a safety-net designation that will protect the pediatric hospital against Medicaid cuts and allow the hospital to access additional funding, The Buffalo News reported Jan. 4.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that designated certain children's hospitals in the state as safety-net hospitals to help protect them from closure.
In 2022, Oishei Children's was on pace to break even. However, in 2020, the hospital had an operating loss of $17.4 million.
"This is a major victory for families and children across Western New York, not only because we're safeguarding world-class pediatric care, but because we're simultaneously creating a sustainable financial model for the hospital to continue offering these critical services," state Sen. Tim Kennedy, a sponsor of the bill, told The Buffalo News.