Overview
- Rabinowitz, appointed in June 2025, will leave after less than 10 months, describing his assignment as transitional and saying the hospital is on firmer footing.
- A successor has not been announced; under a 2025 law Gov. Kathy Hochul selects the chair, and possible interim or permanent options were reported by Newsday.
- His exit leaves only six filled seats on the board, and with a six-member quorum the board can meet only if every member attends until a new appointee is seated.
- During his tenure the board secured $110 million in state operating support, projected the 2026 operating loss at about $82.5 million, and advanced financial oversight at the long-troubled safety-net system.
- The board withdrew a $1 billion lawsuit against the state and sued seven former executives over roughly $1 million in alleged payouts, while unnamed sources told Newsday that tensions with CEO Tom Stokes may have influenced the timing.