OpEd: Resorts World: A proven community partner and the right choice for a full-scale Casino License

For well over 100 years, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s goal has been to provide life-saving care to patients, bring much-needed resources to our neighborhoods, and work closely together with organizations that value our community as much as we do. We are pleased to have found a like-minded community partner and generous supporter in our neighbor, Resorts World.

Resorts World New York City has a proven track record of stimulating our local economy and giving back to many community organizations.

Resorts World New York City employs over a thousand people, providing employees with well-paying jobs and excellent benefits, both of which attract new residents to communities neighboring their facilities. Furthermore, Resorts World has become a true economic force, not only in Queens but also in the state. They are by far the highest-grossing gaming facility in New York and have generated over $3.7 billion in revenue for the state’s lottery education fund since they opened in 2011.

Resorts World New York City has donated over $5 million to local charities and organizations. They’ve made many generous contributions to Jamaica Hospital throughout the years. Between 2011 and 2019, they provided funding to support many clinical services and programs at our hospital, including our Orthopedics, Trauma, Hospice, and Emergency Medicine Departments.

Resorts World has also supported programs that benefit our smallest patients. Through the years, the organization has paid for the remodeling of our hospital’s pediatric emergency department waiting area and pediatric inpatient unit.  In addition to their financial contributions, members of Resorts World New York City’s leadership have volunteered their time on multiple occasions to read books to children admitted to our hospital and distribute gifts to them.

During the COVID pandemic, Jamaica Hospital and the rest of Queens found ourselves at the epicenter of the global crisis and we were faced with many challenges. Resorts World New York City was one of the first organizations to reach out to Jamaica Hospital to ask, “How can we help you, and how can we support your front-line workers?” Without hesitation, they donated thousands of meals to our staff and provided personal protective gear and equipment to help them stay safe.

As Jamaica Hospital began to emerge from the pandemic, we shifted our focus to addressing health disparities that persist in our community, one of which is the lack of quality cancer care services.  In 2022 we dedicated our fund-raising efforts to support this critical need by creating a comprehensive cancer care program in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center.  Resorts World New York City once again demonstrated its support by donating funds to help us bring world-class cancer care to the people of Queens, so they no longer have to travel outside the borough for specialized services.

We fully support Resorts World New York’s application to be a full-scale casino licensee. They have proven themselves to be a huge asset to the people of Queens and beyond.