New York's Unresolved Nursing Home Crisis: An Open Letter to Governor Hochul

Peter Arbeeny reaches out to Governor Kathy Hochul, highlighting the lingering pain surrounding COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. Amid various reports and inquiries, Peter's plea is clear: "When will our loved ones' deaths truly count?" Beyond statistics and politics, he seeks a genuine dialogue with the Governor, aiming for transparency and closure for countless grieving families.

Feds hired NY health czar who defended deadly nursing-home order

Excerpt from the NY Post. Three years ago, the Cuomo-Hochul administration faced scrutiny over their nursing-home policy, a policy which had grave consequences, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The March 25, 2020, nursing-home order became controversial after it led to thousands of deaths of nursing home residents. Central to the controversy was the state Health Commissioner, Howard Zucker, who actively defended this policy and was criticized for obscuring the actual number of deaths tied to nursing homes. Despite his questionable handling of this crisis, Zucker was promoted to a senior position in the Biden Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The article highlights that, even after three years, New Yorkers are still seeking justice and accountability. The piece suggests a need for a thorough investigation into Zucker’s and the administration’s actions during this tumultuous period, with many believing that Howard Zucker should face more severe consequences for his role in the tragedy.

Empire Center: Emails Confirm That Cuomo’s Staff Launched Its ‘Book’ Project in March 2020

Newly disclosed email records confirm that Governor Andrew Cuomo's staff initiated a book project on his pandemic response in March 2020, while New York was still experiencing the first wave of COVID-19. The emails reveal that state-employed writers began researching, outlining, and drafting the book before the initial surge had subsided. One email exchange discussed structuring the book in chapters or sections based on crises and actions taken. Despite the governor's spokesperson denying any connection between the emails and the book project, the evidence suggests otherwise.

Dear Judge DeArcy Hall:

American Courts have recognized that the right to be free from cruel, unhuman or degrading treatment is a universally accepted customary human rights norm. Abebe–Jira v. Negewo, 72 F.3d 844 (11th Cir.1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 830, 117 S.Ct. 96, 136 L.Ed.2d 51 (1996); Najarro de Sanchez v. Banco Central de Nicaragua, 770 F.2d 1385 (5th Cir.1985); Jama v. U.S. I.N.S., 22 F. Supp. 2d 353 (D.N.J. 1998). Xuncax v. Gramajo, 886 F.Supp. 162 (D.Mass.1995); Paul v. Avril, 901 F.Supp. 330 (S.D.Fla.1994). There are few things more cruel, more unhuman, more degrading than helpless, vulnerable elderly people being abandoned to suffer miserable torturous but wholly avoidable COVID deaths that were substantially caused by Defendants’ deliberate indifference and conscience shocking unconstitutional misconduct. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 1-108.

Dear Mr. Olson,

My father, Norman Arbeeny, passed away from COVID-19 because of the New York State nursing home COVID crisis. His death is still not counted by the State as a nursing home fatality, or even a COVID death. He is not alone.

Three Years Later, Still No Answers

Covid Orphans of Cuomo’s New York State Nursing Home COVID Crisis demand an investigation with subpoena power into the deaths of our loved ones