Liu: Columbia Medical Can't Account For $109 Million

A new audit of Columbia University Medical Center has revealed that it has been given over $100 million of city money for work it can't prove it provided, according to City Comptroller John Liu. Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) prepaid Columbia $109 million to provide health care for Harlem Hospital during 2008 and 2009, but record-keeping was so terrible that there is no proof most of the work was ever done.

Harlem Hospital got into trouble earlier this year when it came out that 4,000 echocardiogram tests were never read by doctors making a diagnosis, and at least 200 people who received those unread tests died.

While Liu lambasted the "loosey-goosey" nature of the dealings, the HHC and Columbia put out a joint statement refuting the comptroller's claims: "Many of the report's primary assumptions and conclusions are grossly misleading and inaccurate." That said, we've been thinking of all the imaginary things that Columbia could have secretly been using the money for, such as coyote-wrangling, hiring joke-writers, or, who knows, storming the beaches of Manhattanville.

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By Ben Yakas in News on July 9, 2010 5:21 PM

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bonu$baby

Call Shelly, he should know.

napalm

Using the money for storming the beaches of Manhattanville. Duh!

Although, the area is in no way called Manhattanville, its called *West Harlem*. Unless you're talking about Manhattanville projects which is located on 133rd street on Amsterdam Ave down through Broadway and 130th street. Columbia has been using eminent domain (power of $$$) for years now, and have forced lifelong residents and businesses into oblivion. They even bought 3333broadway, raised the rent, and have placed police officers in the lobby and throughout the building to harass longtime or lifelong residents to where they feel as if they are trespassing in their own building.

They are even making ridiculous attempts to change the historical name of "Harlem", to Manhattanville.

Issues like this need a lot more exposure.

But I guess John Liu is the only politician that didn't receive a "go away" check from Bloomberg

dr zippy

Everything you wrote is wrong.

That area of Manhattan - the valley along 125th St. west of Amsterdam has been called Manhattanville for more than two centuries. The village of Manhattanville was founded in 1806. West Harlem encompasses Manhattanville but the two are not synonymous.

The owner of 3333 Broadway is Urban American Management, which purchased the building in 2007. The previous owner, Peter Belson, opted out of the Mitchell-Lama program in 2005, which meant that he, and now UAM, could charge higher rents.

Both of these facts can be found in a matter of seconds. Why did you write such blatant falsehoods? Did you think you could get away with it?

napalm

You see, this is what happens when you depend on the web as your main source of info, it makes you an outsider looking in and out of touch with certain issues. You obviously don't know anyone in the area, or probably never been there, and probably not even a native of NYC. Are you even aware of this whole eminent domain thing? Doubt it, because if you did, then you've heard of Floridita restaurant being pushed out by Columbia, or the gas station right across the street being pushed out by Columbia, the car wash on 12th Ave, and countless others. Also the attempts on the famous and historic cotton club of Harlem, the Apollo, the tuckitaway storage on 132nd and Broadway which has a huge sign about Columbia's eminent domain abuse that runs across the top of the building, as well as the old car wash on 12th Ave. And that's just scratching the surface. You claim to have all these facts, but no substance to back it up. Since you're saying that Columbia has no hand in the 3333 building, do you know any lifelong or longtime residents of the building? Have you ever been to that building? Explain all the new faces there that happen to be Columbia students for please. I advise you to dig a little deeper with your research or change your source of info which has clearly failed you. Look up any map ect and show me where the section of the borough is labeled Manhattanville will you. By the way, I live in the area and have been here for more than 20 years. West Harlem that is. My friend, *you* are the one who is clearly oblivious the to area and issue. Did *you* think you were gonna get away with it?

dr zippy

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You made two assertions that I said were easily debunked. I know your assertions were wrong because I live in West Harlem (but not Manhattanville) and am very aware of the both the neighborhood and the issues involved with Columbia's expansion.

In addition to living nearby and shopping and interacting with people in the neighborhood I've also read non-Internet things called books.

This neighborhood has clearly been called Manhattanville for centuries. It is more than a little puzzling that you deny this. Have you read the description of Manhattanville in the AIA Guide? Have you read Eric Washington's book on Manhattanville? The latter is where I pulled the 1806 village founding date from. Inside the front cover is an 1878 map titled "Map of Property in Manhattanville..." If you don't mind a little zooming take a look at this 1868 Shannon and Rogers map of NYC. Zoom in far enough and you'll see Manhattanville clearly printed on the map. Why did they do that? Did you ever wonder where Manhattanville College in Westchester County got its name? It's because the college was located in Manhattanville from 1847 to 1952.

You said Columbia owned 3333 Broadway. I showed it didn't. I don't know why many CU students live there, but I do know that lots of NYU students live there as well. How should that be interpreted?

The Cotton Club that's on 125th is not in any way related to the historic Cotton Club that was on 142nd and Lenox and closed in 1936 (to be revived very briefly in Midtown but closing in 1940). That you call the current club historic betrays your claim of being knowledgeable about the neighborhood.