Rockaway trauma center goes mostly unfunded in city budget
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A boost in funding for the Rockaway trauma center was not included in the city’s budget that passed on Tuesday. John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
By Ryan Schwach
Capital funding for a new trauma center on the Rockaway peninsula was left out of the city’s $126 billion budget passed by the City Council Tuesday, despite growing calls from the community to finance the project in the isolated area in Queens.
The Fiscal Year 27 budget, which was passed by a vote of 45-6, includes $10 million for the project out of Speaker Julie Menin’s budget, but does not include any capital funding from the city. Without the city money, locals say they still need about $140 million to start construction on what they say is a much-needed hospital where those suffering major traumas, like gunshot wounds or drownings, can be treated.
Far Rockaway Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers, the main legislator behind the trauma center push, voted yes on the budget but criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration for not including funding for the plan.
“My community faces longstanding health and infrastructure challenges,” Brooks-Powers said. “Just four days ago, the mayor said healthcare is a human right, and we will do everything in our power to defend it, but those words ring hollow for my community today.”
“The absence of capital funding in this budget for the 31st District sends a clear message that your ZIP code does determine your right to health care,” she added. “A budget reflects our values, and every community deserves to see itself in that vision.”
Community members and local Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers have been pushing for the city to fund a trauma center on the Rockaway peninsula. Eagle file photo by Ryan Schwach
Once thought to be a pipe dream for Far Rockaway residents, a trauma center on the isolated peninsula has steadily come closer to becoming a reality – though state approval, which is required for the creation of a trauma center, remains a major hurdle.
Last year, Brooks-Powers and the city identified a site for a future center in the Arverne section of the peninsula, and facilitated a land transfer so it could be developed.
Now, locals are trying to claw the $200 million needed to begin construction.
Former Mayor Eric Adams allocated $50 million for the construction in his last budget as mayor, and Menin’s infusion this week brings the outstanding balance to $140 million.
“We need a lot more,” said Queens Councilmember Lynn Schulman, who chairs the Council’s health committee and supports Brooks-Powers’ efforts to secure the center.
“This is a great start,” the central Queens representative added during Tuesday’s budget vote.
Brooks-Powers also thanked Menin for the funding, but said that it “does not lessen the need for tangible investments from the mayor.”
"The residents of the Rockaway peninsula deserve a trauma center that can provide care and save lives,” said a Council spokesperson. “Speaker Menin was proud to work with Councilmember Brooks-Powers to secure an additional $10 million in the FY27 budget to support this vital project, but deeper investments are required. The Council looks forward to fighting for the necessary resources to provide the healthcare infrastructure that all New Yorkers deserve."
Rockaway residents have been calling for a trauma center to be built since Peninsula Hospital shuttered more than a decade ago.
The closest trauma center to the Rockaways is Jamaica Hospital. In order to receive trauma care, Rockaway residents need to trek more than 40 minutes through the often-congested Van Wyck Expressway. Pediatric cases are often sent to Cohen Children's Medical Center in Glen Oaks, which could take an hour to get to from parts of the peninsula.
The issue was highlighted in March 2024 when Police Officer Jonathan Diller, who was shot on-duty in Far Rockaway, had to be brought to Jamaica Hospital to receive treatment.
That was despite being shot just a few blocks away from Rockaway’s only hospital, St. John’s Episcopal, which does not have trauma treatment capabilities.
Brooks-Powers and the task force she formed to lobby for the center have called for the highest level of trauma center – which they are unlikely to receive due to strict population requirements that the peninsula does not meet. However, the councilmember said it is likely that if the center is approved by the state, it would be designated as a level III center, but could be staffed at a higher level to account for Rockaway’s isolation.
City Hall did not respond to a request for comment.
