The 10 hospitals of the Long Island Health Network (LIHN) recently recognized Senator Kemp Hannon with their 2008 Quality Leadership Award for his commitment to LIHN's goals of improving healthcare quality and increasing access to affordable healthcare.

Senator Hannon, who chairs the Senate's Health Committee, was honored by LIHN's President and CEO Brian Currie and Senior Vice President Kathleen Masiulis before 700 attendees at LIHN's recent annual caregiver symposium.

Senator Hannon told attendees, "LIHN is bound together by a quality network of hospitals - that's what we want in modern medicine."

The senator is regarded as a national health-care industry expert and has supported important legislation governing patient safety, long-term care, women's health and health insurance and payment reform. LIHN hospitals have worked cooperatively as a clinically integrated joint venture to institute standards of care and efficiency that have improved clinical quality and results, while saving tens of millions of dollars.

LIHN member hospitals are: Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, New Island Hospital, South Nassau Communities Hospital, St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, St. Charles Hospital, St. Francis Hospital - The Heart Center and Winthrop-University Hospital.

Senator Kemp Hannon announced the governor signed important legislation into law overhauling the pension reform system.

"We passed this legislation in June, and I am pleased the governor finally signed it into law," Senator Hannon said. "The appearance and actuality of individuals taking advantage of taxpayers has hurt confidence in, and hurt support for, our public education system."

The legislation bans private attorneys from being considered a public employee; requires transparency by school districts; requires the State Comptroller to oversee school district and BOCES retirees; makes pension fraud a felony; and forbids revolving door arrangements by prohibiting a public retiree from returning to the same or similar position for a period of one year. It also enables the State to fine individuals convicted of pension fraud up to three times the amount they received in benefits.

"People lost confidence in schools and in municipalities. This law will prevent such abuse from taking place again," Senator Hannon added.

Numerous individuals who collected public pensions are currently under investigation by the State Comptroller and the New York Attorney General.

Senator Kemp Hannon announced the state has mailed out Middle Class STAR rebate checks to homeowners who are in the STAR program.

"If you did not receive your check yet, you will be receiving it soon," Senator Hannon said. "We fought hard for these checks. The governor tried to eliminate them, but we were able to make sure residents received a STAR rebate check again this year."

STAR rebate checks provide funding directly to homeowners and are in addition to the STAR discount homeowners already receive on their tax bills. To receive a check, homeowners needed to fill out an application form in 2007. Homeowners who did not complete a form in 2007 should have received that form in the mail recently.

The checks are mailed in October since school tax bills are due in November.

If you have not yet received your check and would like to know how much you will be receiving, visit http://www8.nystax.gov/SRLU/srluHome08 (remember the "8" after the third "w" in the website address).

If residents did not receive a check by the end of October, or if they did not receive an application form and need one, they should call Senator Hannon's office at 739-1700.