[1:50] The August 25th, 2026 meeting of the

[1:52] Human Services Committee will now come

[1:53] to order.

[1:54] Will the clerk please call the roll.

[1:56] Mr.

[1:57] >> Here.

[1:58] >> Mr. Blankley is present. Ms. Bonner?

[2:00] >> Here.

[2:00] >> Ms. Bonner is present. Mr. Cruz?

[2:02] >> Presente.

[2:03] >> Mr. Cruz is present. Mr. Donderfer?

[2:05] >> Here.

[2:06] >> Mr. Donderfer is present. Ms. Hasman?

[2:08] >> Here.

[2:08] >> Ms. Hasman is present. Mr. McCabe? Mr.

[2:11] McCabe is present. Mr. Milne?

[2:12] >> Here.

[2:13] >> Mr. Milne [music] is present. Ms. Smith?

[2:15] is present. Ms. Vasquez

[2:16] Simmons?

[2:17] >> Here.

[2:18] >> Ms. Vasquez Simmons is present.

[2:20] Is there anyone signed up for the public

[2:21] forum?

[2:22] >> There is not.

[2:23] >> Is there anyone present who has not

[2:25] signed up to speak who would like to

[2:26] address the committee at this time?

[2:28] Seeing none.

[2:30] The next item on the agenda is the

[2:31] approval of minutes. You have the July

[2:33] 28th, [music] 2026 minutes before you.

[2:36] They will stand approved unless the

[2:37] clerk is notified of any changes by the

[2:39] end of the day.

[2:40] Next item on the agenda is new business.

[2:42] Madam Clerk?

[2:44] >> Referral number 26-0255, [music]

[2:47] authorize contracts for the provision of

[2:49] forensic pathology services to the

[2:51] Monroe County Office of the Medical

[2:52] Examiner.

[2:54] >> Move it.

[2:55] >> Second.

[2:56] >> Moved by Legislator Vasquez Simmons,

[2:58] seconded by Legislator Blankley. Is

[2:59] there any discussion? Yes, Legislator

[3:01] Milne.

[3:02] >> Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. Just a

[3:04] couple of questions through you to the

[3:05] administration.

[3:07] Um what are the current wait times or

[3:10] backlog in the Medical Examiner's

[3:12] Office?

[3:19] » Uh good evening and through the chair,

[3:20] Bob Zerby, Chief Investigator with the

[3:22] Medical Examiner's Office. Uh the

[3:24] current backlogs it varies at this

[3:26] point. With our incumbent physicians,

[3:28] there's two.

[3:29] Theirs is approximately 11 months. There

[3:32] were doctors that served basically solo

[3:34] terms while we were trying to build up

[3:36] staff. Uh we do have a third sitting

[3:39] whose

[3:40] times are amazing. She's essentially

[3:42] completing 90% of her cases within 90

[3:44] days, which is essentially the the

[3:45] guidelines for the national standards by

[3:47] the National Association of Medical

[3:48] Examiners.

[3:51] » Thank you. And a follow-up question if I

[3:54] may, again through the chair to the

[3:56] administration. Um

[3:58] You know, it's

[4:00] And I mean, I don't mean this in a

[4:01] negative way. It seems like my years on

[4:04] this legislature, we've been asking one

[4:06] of these same questions every year and we understand you're working on it,

[4:10] but through the chair, what steps is the

[4:13] office of the medical examiner taking to

[4:16] ensure that these additional forensic

[4:18] pathology

[4:19] positions are filled? And And do we feel

[4:21] like we're making any progress? You

[4:24] know, sometimes in business, right? All

[4:26] of a sudden, there'll be a a rash of

[4:28] people that are looking for work or have

[4:30] passed a class or whatever. Are we

[4:32] making any progress in your opinion?

[4:34] >> Uh through the chair, absolutely.

[4:36] Uh we again, Dr. Melito, our newest

[4:39] doctor with um 90% of cases completed in

[4:41] 90 days is outstanding.

[4:43] Um in October, we're set to seat a new

[4:45] forensic pathologist. Um new [music] in

[4:47] the sense of she's completing her

[4:48] training and she'll be joining our team

[4:50] in October. Um that leaves one vacant

[4:52] spot

[4:53] >> [music]

[4:53] >> and we're we're hopeful. Uh universally,

[4:56] you you probably noticed that no one

[4:58] essentially is going into medicine

[5:00] anymore. They're short physicians, even,

[5:02] you know, everyday physicians,

[5:03] hospitals, and whatnot. Um nurses, you

[5:06] know, technical people, people just

[5:07] aren't going into medicine. Um forensic

[5:10] pathology experiences the same. And it's a national shortage. Uh roughly

[5:14] 1,200 doctor spots for forensic

[5:17] pathologists, the doctors that are

[5:18] medical examiners across the US with

[5:21] anywhere between six to 800 people to

[5:22] fill those seats. Um what makes it

[5:25] really difficult for Monroe is because

[5:27] we were short for so long. And it's not

[5:29] just Monroe. I mean, this is Erie, this

[5:30] is Onondaga, this is most offices. Um

[5:33] you you want to be accredited.

[5:34] Accreditation standards through NAME

[5:36] call for doing no more than 325 cases

[5:39] per doctor. Um with with three doctors

[5:41] and 1,500 autopsy cases, that's 500.

[5:44] We're well above the limit. So, when you

[5:46] try to woo someone to come to your

[5:47] office, it's like, "Hey, we're going to

[5:48] pay you this much money, but you might

[5:49] be doing 500 cases." They're going to go

[5:51] to an accredited office where they know

[5:52] the ceiling is 300 and a quarter. They

[5:54] know what their salary is. They can do

[5:56] basic math and figure out essentially

[5:57] it's this much per case. So, once we get

[6:00] the doctor four in here, it's going to

[6:01] make it significantly better because our

[6:04] other doctors can focus on their

[6:05] backlogs, bringing their average time

[6:07] down. The doctors that are new with no

[6:08] backlog will be steaming along at good

[6:10] speed. And if we can identify that third

[6:13] doctor who does have no backlog, uh

[6:15] we're we're going to be golden and look

[6:16] only for improvement after that through

[6:18] the chair.

[6:19] >> Thank you very much. I I do appreciate

[6:21] your candor with those answers. And and

[6:23] I also want to say that I appreciate

[6:25] [music] the work that you and your team

[6:26] do. Thank you.

[6:27] >> Through the chair, thank you.

[6:29] >> Legislator McCabe.

[6:30] >> Yes, ma'am. Chairman, through you to um

[6:33] Chief Zerbe.

[6:35] Some states, I know, have hired like

[6:37] they're doing PAs or doing forensic

[6:40] pathology. Now, is that

[6:42] even allowable in New York State at the

[6:43] current time?

[6:45] >> So, so in in New York, the county law is

[6:48] the New York law that covers medical

[6:49] examiners and coroners.

[6:51] Uh there's actually specific ruling that

[6:54] a physician's assistant can't stand in

[6:55] for the work of a medical examiner. Uh

[6:58] county law as it relates to medical

[7:00] examiners and coroners is wildly

[7:02] archaic. Um it just it doesn't get

[7:04] reviewed frequently, so it's it's very

[7:06] old and

[7:07] there wasn't such a thing when the law

[7:09] was written. Um as times are tougher,

[7:11] something has to give somewhere. Um if I may and and please do recognize

[7:16] that New York is actually recognizing

[7:18] death investigation as a significant

[7:20] thing. Um as you may or may not know, um

[7:23] Monroe County has a medical examiner

[7:24] system. Most of the state enjoys a

[7:26] coroner system. Um coroners are elected

[7:29] official, and essentially if any of you

[7:30] are over the age 18 and lived in one of

[7:32] those counties, you could run for

[7:33] coroner. Absolutely zero requirement for

[7:35] any qualifications about death

[7:37] investigation whatsoever. It's it's a

[7:38] horribly weak system. Um so, what New

[7:41] York recently did is they actually

[7:43] recognized that, "Hey, you know

[7:44] something? Going forward, this is

[7:45] important." And they put a continuing

[7:46] education requirement. So, even if you

[7:48] don't know anything, through by your

[7:50] third year and going forward, you have

[7:51] to have at least I I think it's 30

[7:53] credit hours um in in your term to

[7:56] actually sustain your position as a

[7:57] coroner. So, I mean, it's a start.

[7:59] They're actually seeing that this is

[8:00] something and they're paying attention

[8:01] to it. That may turn things around for

[8:03] us through the chair.

[8:04] >> All right. Thank you. I appreciate I

[8:05] yield. Thank you.

[8:06] >> Any other discussion?

[8:08] All those in favor, please signify by

[8:10] saying I.

[8:11] >> I.

[8:11] >> Any opposed?

[8:12] >> [music]

[8:12] >> Item carries. Next item, please.

[8:15] >> Referral number 26-0256.

[8:17] Authorize a contract with UR Medicine

[8:19] Home Care Licensed Services Inc. DBA

[8:22] Visiting Nursing Nurse Signature Care

[8:24] for support of the Nurse Family

[8:26] Partnership Program.

[8:27] >> Move it.

[8:28] >> Second.

[8:29] >> Moved by Legislator Askew-Simmons,

[8:30] seconded by Legislator Blakely. Is there

[8:32] any discussion?

[8:34] Legislator Askew-Simmons.

[8:35] >> Thank you. Through you to the

[8:37] administration,

[8:38] is this contract uh funded via grant or

[8:41] is it part of the 2026 operating budget?

[8:48] » Through the chair, this is grant-funded.

[8:53] » Okay, great. Thank you. I yield.

[8:55] >> Um I wait, Madam Clerk. I would like to

[8:57] declare my interest in this.

[8:58] >> Noted. Thank you.

[8:59] >> Thank you. And I have a question as

[9:00] well. Um this is such a wonderful

[9:02] program. I was wondering if you have a

[9:04] list of accomplishments, outcomes that

[9:06] you can share with us to date.

[9:09] >> I can pull together a list of

[9:12] accomplishments and have that ready

[9:14] within the next day or so.

[9:16] >> That would be wonderful. Thank you. Any

[9:18] other discussion?

[9:19] All those in favor, please signify by

[9:21] saying I.

[9:22] >> I.

[9:22] Any opposed?

[9:24] Item carries. Next item, please.

[9:26] >> Referral number 26-0257.

[9:29] Acceptance of a grant from Health

[9:30] Research Inc. for the Public Health

[9:32] Emergency Preparedness Program.

[9:34] >> Move it.

[9:35] >> Second.

[9:36] >> Moved by Legislator Askew-Simmons,

[9:37] seconded Blankly. Is there any

[9:39] discussion?

[9:41] Seeing none, all those in favor please

[9:43] signify by saying I.

[9:44] >> I.

[9:45] >> Any opposed? Item carries.

[9:50] Are there any other matters to come

[9:51] before this committee?

[9:53] >> Madam

[9:54] >> Oh, yes, Legislator

[9:56] Cruz.

[9:57] >> Um, yes, Madam Chair, do you and uh

[10:00] please correct me um if I'm wrong,

[10:03] through our parliamentarian.

[10:05] I just I'm I'm seeing the subject of the

[10:07] uh renewal of the contract with item

[10:09] 26-0256.

[10:12] Seeing how we kind of just

[10:14] have had conversation about these sort

[10:16] of contracts not coming back to the

[10:19] legislative body if there is some sort

[10:20] of issue with the agency that we're

[10:22] contracting with.

[10:24] Is there any Is this too late to put any

[10:26] sort of stipulations to these sort of

[10:28] contracts?

[10:29] Um especially with this being a Visiting

[10:31] Nurse Signature [music] Care

[10:33] organization.

[10:35] Similar to what we kind of experienced,

[10:37] something wrong happens, but we don't

[10:39] get to see the renewal of the contract

[10:42] when it comes up. It doesn't go through

[10:44] the legislative body.

[10:46] Should I rephrase?

[10:48] >> I'm sorry, I'm unclear what the question

[10:49] is, actually.

[10:49] >> Yeah,

[10:50] >> [music]

[10:50] >> me too. I'm sorry. I'm making it up,

[10:51] that's how it goes.

[10:53] There is a renewal of contract for item

[10:55] 26-0256,

[10:57] right? We've had similar conversations

[10:59] in the past recently where the renewal

[11:01] of these contracts don't come back to

[11:03] the legislative body. They just renew

[11:05] when the time for renewal was up. In

[11:07] this particular case,

[11:09] uh

[11:12] where is it?

[11:13] >> Point of order.

[11:15] >> Uh this says

[11:17] uh authorized contract in amount

[11:21] Sorry.

[11:21] >> You have the floor. You put a point of

[11:23] order. What was the point of order?

[11:24] >> The point of order is we've we should do

[11:26] a motion to reconsider. We've already

[11:27] voted on this matter.

[11:28] >> That's why I'm asking if I'm

[11:29] >> And we should do a point of order, do a

[11:31] motion to reconsider to bring it back to

[11:33] the table if we're going to do that.

[11:34] >> on a second. Is that what you're asking?

[11:35] >> Is that what you're asking? To bring it

[11:37] back to the table?

[11:38] >> Yes, if I'm able to to discuss it. I was

[11:40] going to ask the question, but

[11:42] everything flew so fast.

[11:44] >> Well, you you could we could vote to

[11:47] or you could allow him to ask a question

[11:49] of the administration

[11:51] just as a matter of

[11:52] without it being associated with the

[11:53] motion. It's up to you.

[11:55] >> Um

[11:56] I will allow the question.

[11:57] >> All right, so I guess my question is

[11:59] just seeing how there is a renewal of

[12:00] contract um for 1 year for a 1 year

[12:03] period.

[12:05] Does that get Does that come back to the

[12:07] legislative body at all? Or is it just

[12:09] when that year is up, they renew? Does

[12:11] this um

[12:13] agency get to automatically renew?

[12:16] Like in past practice.

[12:17] >> Through the chair.

[12:18] I apologize.

[12:20] >> asking if

[12:20] >> Does the contract renew without it

[12:22] having to come back to the legislative

[12:23] body?

[12:24] >> You're asking if we vote on this

[12:25] annually?

[12:26] >> I guess so, yeah.

[12:29] On the renewal of contract.

[12:33] » Yes.

[12:34] >> Uh through the chair. No, the the way

[12:36] that this uh proposed legislation is

[12:38] written, it is a uh 1-year contract uh

[12:41] with four additional 1-year renewals

[12:45] uh up to four additional 1-year

[12:46] renewals.

[12:47] Um those renewals uh would not need to

[12:49] come back to the legislature um

[12:52] to to be accomplished.

[12:54] >> Thank you. Um sorry for the butchering

[12:56] of the question. I was I was trying to

[12:58] piece it together. [music]

[12:59] Um I just wanted to voice that

[13:02] due to in lieu of recent events that is concerning and just looking

[13:06] forward to be able to amend some

[13:08] language in the future concerning

[13:09] [music] the the the construct of these

[13:11] contracts of renewal in case something

[13:14] happens with the provider so we could at

[13:17] least review it prior for them getting

[13:20] another year of renewal.

[13:21] >> satisfied with that or do you want to

[13:22] bring it up again?

[13:24] >> I'm satisfied with that answer. Thank

[13:25] [music] you.

[13:27] >> Okay.

[13:30] So, there being no other So, close

[13:33] it now? Okay, thank you. Thank you to

[13:35] our parliamentarian. There being no

[13:37] other matters, the August 25th, 2026

[13:39] meeting of the Human Services Committee

[13:41] stands adjourned. The next meeting of

[13:42] the Human Services Committee will be

[13:43] held on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 at

[13:46] 5:00 p.m.

08.25.26 Human Services Committee Meeting

Transcript