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Survivors and volunteers urge Ulster County and WMC Health to restore Ruiner House oncology support program
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Summary
Multiple survivors, volunteers and family members told the Ulster County Legislature on April 21 that the sudden closure of the Ruiner House oncology support program removed thousands of program hours and volunteer expertise; speakers asked WMC Health Alliance to commit funding and restore program services and called for transparency on how the medical‑village space will be used.
Three speakers at the April 21 meeting described the sudden closure of the Ruiner House oncology support program and urged the county and WMC Health Alliance to restore the program and invest not just in space but in services and staffing.
Marie Biker, who said she grew up at the Ruiner Cancer Support House and whose mother volunteered for decades, asked the legislature to insist on transparency about the transition and to clarify how much WMC Health Alliance plans to invest in program delivery as compared with the previous model. "We ask for transparency," Biker said, and sought answers about budgets and future plans.
Jennifer O'Donnell, identifying herself as the daughter of the program’s founder, described the 30‑year legacy and said the closure had been "devastating". She said the closure represented a loss of approximately 2,000 hours of programming over eight months and asserted the sale and closure involved substantial public funding that supported the program’s preventive mission. "We want to work with WMC Health, but a true partnership requires that... the program is what has saved people," O'Donnell said.
Tara Ryan, a cancer patient and former volunteer leader, described the program as life‑changing and said a recent walkthrough of the proposed new space left survivors concerned that the hospital is prioritizing business offices over therapeutic program space. "We are devastated about the loss of the Ruiner House... This program must be reinstated in full, not just as a building, but as a live vehicle for patients," Ryan said.
Manager (former legislator) Managio Green also urged that a publicly paid zero‑waste guidance document be opened for public comment and said potential investors in a proposed waste‑to‑biogas facility are reconsidering; he asked that the county develop a full implementation plan, including costs and public review, before finalizing the guidance.
Speakers asked for clear commitments on funding, timelines and incorporation of survivor and volunteer input into any new program model.
