New York allocates $800M for SUNY hospital upgrade: 5 notes

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has allocated $800 million for improvements at The State University of New York's hospitals as part of the executive budget for fiscal 2026, released Jan. 21.

Five notes: 

1. The budget includes $250 million for emergency department, burn unit and operating room expansions at SUNY Upstate Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., according to CNY Central. The hospital had originally requested $450 million to develop a hospital annex that would house a new ED.
   
   
2. In a statement to CNY Central, a spokesperson for the hospital said the funding is a starting point for the upgrades.
   
   "The $200 million outlined in the executive budget provides an incredible foundation for the annex plan that will help Upstate address some of its most pressing needs," the statement said. "With this support from Gov. Houchul and the legislature, we can begin these essential infrastructure upgrades and recognize UpState's crucial role as the region's only level 1 trauma center and emergency department for adults and children."
    
3. In December, a group of bipartisan state lawmakers wrote a letter to Ms. Hochul's office, requesting a $450 million investment to support capital investments at SUNY Upstate, saying the 60-year-old ED is "inadequate for today's standards of care and increasing demand."
   
   
4. Officials with the governor's office confirmed to syracuse.com that University Hospital at Downstate, part of SUNY Downstate Health and Sciences University would receive $450 million for "modernization and revitalization." SUNY had previously requested the funds to preserve inpatient services at Downstate. In January 2024, state officials shared plans to significantly reduce or potentially close the facility, which community advocates have opposed.
   
   
5. In December, a community coalition published a counterproposal, outlining a plan to preserve inpatient services at Downstate, which included calls to limit the number of inpatient beds, ED renovations and maternity care improvements. The proposal also urged the state to maintain SUNY Downstate's kidney transplant program, the only program of its kind in Brooklyn.