By Matthew Avitabile
MARGARETVILLE — Fred Margulies has been on the Margaretville Hospital Board since 2007. He and his wife Teddy started coming to the area as weekenders in 1997 and “even before we closed on our first house we were developing relationships with people in the community that made us feel welcome,” Margulies said. They moved here full-time in 2001. One of his first friends was then-Board Chair Joyce St. George, who asked if he would join the board. Margulies had experienced the hospital, as many of us do, through the emergency department.
At the time, the hospital had been under the aegis of Kingston Hospital. The monthly board meetings included Kingston Hospital’s CEO Michael Kaminski. The board had financial and fiduciary responsibilities. A major transition occurred when Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley was formed in 2013 with the merging of Kingston Hospital and Benedictine Hospital. Health Alliance ownership resulted in “a step away from local control,” said Margulies. Yet another transition occurred in 2016 when Westchester Medical Center became the overall parent.
Around that time, Margulies was term-limited from the board, but after one year was asked to return. There was deep concern that we were now just an advisory board with little power. Over the next few years, however, WMC Health allayed many of the fears, including over possible closure. “They listened to us,” Margulies said. This has led to significant support, such as the soon to be built helipad. The current system requires involvement from the Margaretville Fire Department and sending the ambulance from the area behind Freshtown, which takes crucial time during an emergency. He credits the community, the Foundation, donations, and fundraising through events such as the Art Auction to help make the project happen.
As the “emeritus” member of the board, Margulies brings an important institutional memory, including the ups and downs of the hospital’s history. “We have a great board now,” he said. This includes the ability to get attention from WMC. He gives specific credit to Chair Emilie Adams, who he said has done a “phenomenal job.” “There’s not only a deep caring, but also the ability to talk to members of the community who continue to be concerned,” he said.
Margulies added that continued community support and honest communication is essential to keeping ahead of potential rumors.
There is significant concern now over current policy at the federal level, he said. The board is helping influence WMC Health to influence policymakers. “These are dangerous times for rural hospitals,” he said. Funding from the federal government aids critical access hospitals, such as Margaretville.
“The Hospital is essential to our community in so many ways,” he said. In addition, Mountainside has been a critical resource for families in and around Margaretville. “We are truly a hometown hospital and nursing home,” he said. This includes the high quality of care for local residents and beyond. It is also one of the largest employers in the area. “That hometown spirit still is alive here,” said Margulies.
While he has stepped back from some board activity due to family health concerns, he had continued to contribute. He is responsible for recruitment of new board members. This includes a new crop that makes him “much more confident about the future.”
Margaretville is truly our home. “Living here is like living in an extended family,” he said. “Whenever we are away due to illness, we come back to a refrigerator stocked with food, even from people we barely know.”
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