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Fair Ciotti hired as NUMC's general counsel, will receive $300,000
Civic leaders call the hiring of Ciotti 'unfair advantage'
Some residents were shocked when 16-year Nassau County Legislator John Ciotti (R-North Valley Stream) voted out of the County Legislature’s 3rd District seat in November; beaten by Democrat challenger Carrié Solages. Some even felt badly for the politician, fearing that his career could be over. However, as residents recently learned, Ciotti is faring pretty well.
On Jan. 1, Ciotti began serving as senior general counsel of the Nassau University Medical Center and associated facilities — a position that includes an annual salary of $300,000.
According to Shelley Lotenberg, a spokeswoman for NUMC, the board of directors for NuHealth, which operates NUMC, voted unanimously to appoint Ciotti to the position on Dec. 13. The NUMC health-care system has an annual budget of $553 million, she added.
Ciotti replaced Reginald Bullock, who left NUMC on July 15 to return to the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, where he served as senior associate general counsel until 2008. According to Lotenberg, Bullock’s salary as NUMC’s counsel was 260,000 — $40,000 less than the salary approved for Ciotti by NuHealth’s board.
According to Lotenberg, nearly 175 NUMC employees were laid off in November, and the hospital is facing a $50 million budget gap next year due to an increase in pension expenses and operating costs, and a reduction in Medicaid payments. Additionally, more than 260 Nassau County employees were laid off in December, according to a recent law passed by the County Legislature to save the county $75 million.
At a meeting held by the Elmont East End Civic Association on Jan. 3, the topic of Ciotti’s new position brought a rumble from attendees, including angry shouts from some. Civic leaders spoke out against NUMC’s decision and Ciotti’s new salary due to its inconsistency with the local economy.
“I’m tired of the ‘nimby-ism’ on Long Island,” Pat Nicolosi, the East End Civic’s president, said last week, adding that he believes local ex-politicians have had unfair advantages in finding new careers for several decades.
“It’s shameful that Mr. Ciotti is appointed to this position at $40,000 more than his predecessor,” he said. “There are doctors at NUMC who don’t earn $300,000 a year. In these hard economic times where people are being asked to do more with less — why is Mr. Ciotti being asked to do less with more? Why don’t people like Ciotti and staff members return back to the private sector? It’s like welfare for the rich.”
In regard to Ciotti’s new salary, Lotenberg said that it’s “comparable to what other senior level officials make,” and that the general counsel position “is important for any company.” She added that the board considered Ciotti’s expertise — including 33 years of legal experience — when deciding on an appropriate salary.
“His wealth of knowledge into the workings of the Nassau Health Care Corporation, gained from his 16 years as the chairman of the Finance Committee and deputy presiding officer uniquely qualifies him for the role of general counsel, which is charged with managing the critical public health system for the people of Nassau County,” Lotenberg said.
According to Lotenberg, Ciotti is now responsible for overseeing all legal matters that affect NHCC’s operations at NUMC, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and NUMC’s network of health centers co-operated with the LI Federally Qualified Health Center, Inc. Additionally, she said, he oversees all legal issues relating to compliance, corporate governance, employee grievances, labor disputes, contracts, and all litigation, including and not limited to malpractice, contract and general litigation.
On his first day at NUMC, Jan. 1, Ciotti “started right in, working from early in the morning, seven a days a week,” she said. “Through the various meetings that he has attended with the senior executive staff and the board, he is becoming deeply involved in the strategic issues facing Nassau’s public benefit corporation, providing health care to some of Nassau’s most vulnerable populations,” she added.
According to Ciotti's website, he's practiced law on Long Island for more than 30 years, specializing in civil litigation, commercial law and domestic relations. Ciotti did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
