Doctors, the New York State Nurses Association and 1199, patients and local and representatives will rally before the hearing at 9:00 a.m. on the steps of the courthouse (Cadman Plaza West side).
A temporary restraining order was issued on February 21st to SUNY for failure to follow New York State's open meetings law when it voted to close LICH down.
LICH serves over 120,000 Brooklynites every year and hundreds of Brooklynites every day. If the hospital closes, people suffering health emergencies in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook will have to travel far away (especially with worsening Downtown Brooklyn traffic) to get to an emergency room.
Millions of dollars invested in equipment and infrastructure will be sold for pennies on the dollar, and the many doctors and medical labs in the area will go elsewhere.
You've probably read the latest article from the Daily News where SUNY Downstate makes the absurd claim that keeping LICH open for care is putting patient safety at risk.
SUNY is clearly trying to frame the narrative as unions vs. fiscal reality/patient safety . . .They have shifted their message from "LICH is under-utilized and not needed" to "LICH patient safety is at risk."
The community very clearly disagrees with LICH board's recent decision to close its doors and speculates potential real estate profits is too much of a motivating force. However, with a fatal crash on Clinton & Atlantic just last week, it is readily apparent that Brooklyn cannot lose another emergency & ambulatory care facility. Preemptively, we have supported local legislators' push to get the existing hospital structures landmarked within the context of the adjacent historic district. This could prevent demolition and reduce incentives for developers to swoop in and build luxury condos when our community really needs a center for health care.
- Write to the NY State Department of Health
- Contact the Governor
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
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