Bassett Receives $17M in FEMA Reimbursements
By KRISTIAN CONNOLLYCOOPERSTOWN
The corner of Atwell Road and River Street in Cooperstown is quite possibly the sight of the busiest continuous pedestrian-and-automobile traffic in Otsego County. So there was a slight disconnect on the lawn of the Bassett Medical Center on Tuesday, August 13, when New York’s senior United States senator and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer highlighted the importance of rural healthcare and announced more than $17 million in COVID-19 reimbursement funding for the Bassett Healthcare Network as part of the American Rescue Plan.
At the three-pronged intersection, in a setting similar to an average Manhattan street corner with its constant stream of activity and the din of foot and motor traffic, even honking horns, Schumer made sure two points were heard loud and clear: Rural healthcare systems like Bassett Healthcare deserve the support of the federal government, and he was here to provide it.
“Bassett’s reputation is fabulous not just here in the Southern Tier and in Otsego County, not just in New York State, but really around the country for being the kind of great provider it is, in a rural area giving top-notch medical care to [eight] counties,” said Schumer, who was joined by Bassett Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Staci Thompson, Village of Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, Otsego County Board Chair Edwin Frazier Jr., Bassett Healthcare Directors Chair Douglas Hastings, Bassett Medical Center President Dr. Henry Weil, and medical student Katherine Dunkelberger.
