Executive Vice President of Stony Brook Medicine William Wertheim, MD met with Representative Tom Suozzi and staff from the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representative Nick LaLota, Representative Andrew Garbarino, and Representative Laura Gillen in Washington, D.C. on March 25. Wertheim was in Washington to advance Stony Brook Medicine’s federal priorities for fiscal year 2027. These included requests for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS), reforms to J-1 and H-1B visa pathways to address healthcare workforce shortages, and advocating for sustained investment in biomedical research.
The meetings were aimed at highlighting the importance of federal partnership in maintaining access to high-quality care and supporting innovation at academic medical centers like Stony Brook Medicine. Wertheim also expressed appreciation for the lawmakers’ support in securing a fix to the Section 203 Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) formula through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. This change is described as critical for safety-net hospitals.
In discussions with Senate offices, Wertheim focused on advancing CDS requests that would expand ambulatory outpatient surgical capacity at Stony Brook’s main campus. He said that moving appropriate procedures such as joint replacements to outpatient settings could help reduce wait times and improve patient throughput. He also noted that acquiring a new surgical robot would increase precision and efficiency while expanding access to care across Long Island. These proposals are under consideration by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for possible inclusion in next year’s health funding bill.
Wertheim discussed ongoing healthcare workforce shortages with both House and Senate staff members. He outlined policy solutions such as addressing barriers faced by foreign-born clinicians through J-1 and H-1B visa programs, increasing education loan limits for medical students, and lifting caps on Medicare-funded residency slots.
“I was pleased to be in Washington to personally thank our NY federal delegation for their support of Stony Brook Medicine, specifically Rep. LaLota, Sen. Gillibrand and Sen. Schumer for their incredible leadership in fixing the devastating Sec. 203 Medicaid DSH formula,” said Wertheim. “The Senators and Congressman were able to insert a provision to nullify the Medicaid DSH formula in the health-related funding bill earlier this year. Had the updated Medicaid DSH formula not been repealed, it would have cost Stony Brook University Hospital $53 million in reduced revenue per year,” he continued.
Stony Brook University’s Office of Federal Relations coordinated these meetings from its base in Washington D.C., according to university officials. The office will continue follow-up engagement with congressional offices regarding these issues.
