The Southeast Queens United in Support of Healthcare (SQUISH) Coalition is an alliance of community and advocacy groups working together to improve access to healthcare services in Southeast Queens. SQUISH focuses on strengthening existing healthcare services by raising community awareness about issues that affect the delivery of services and advocating against the reduction and removal of critical health services in Southeast Queens.
SQUISH Member Organizations
- Centro Hispano Cuzcatlan
- Commission on the Public’s Health System
- Hollis Park Garden Association
- Jamaica Neighborhood Center
- New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
- Queens Civic Congress
History
Southeast Queens in Support of Health Services (SQUISH) is a coalition of religious and community-based organizations in Southeast Queens that formed in March 2006 in response to the possible closure of Mary Immaculate Hospital due to the bankruptcy of its previous owner, St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers. Since its inception, SQUISH has actively endeavored to ensure the preservation of Mary Immaculate’s services for Southeast Queens community members. SQUISH’s activities include submitting pertinent information about Southeast Queens’ community health needs to the bankruptcy court, the State Hospital Review and Planning Council (“SHRPC”), and the Public Health Council, and testifying before SHRPC’s Project Review Committee. In September 2006, SQUISH also convened a community forum at Grace Episcopal Church to give community residents an opportunity to learn more about what was happening to Mary Immaculate.
In December 2006, Mary Immaculate was purchased by Caritas, an affiliate of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, and continued to experience financial problems under this new ownership. Mary Immaculate and St. Johns (another hospital in Queens) closed in early 2009.
Nevertheless, SQUISH continues to advocate for the preservation of health services in light of the severe health disparities in the Southeast Queens area. The fight continues to preserve, improve, and develop health care resources in Southeast Queens, and SQUISH welcomes and encourages your participation in this broad-based, community effort.
