Friday, June 21, 2013

Three Items About Hospitals in Brooklyn

1: An emergency room crisis has hit western Brooklyn as SUNY Downstate bans ambulances from LICH, the Brooklyn Eagle reports. SUNY is ignoring a court order in its mad rush to shut down LICH. Residents, representatives and hospital employees have repeatedly requested help from the state but get none from Gov. Cuomo or any regulatory agencies in his administration.

2: The Interfaith and Brooklyn Hospital merger has unraveled, Crain's reports. The reason? The state has not given Brooklyn Hospital the $1.6 million it needs to investigate Interfaith's finances and its worthiness as a potential merger partner, Crain's says. Interfaith "repeatedly requested direction" from the state but got none from Gov. Cuomo or any regulatory agencies in his administration.

3: A Senate bill would create five pilot projects allowing private hospitals in New York State for the first time ever. Private hospital chains have recently been the subject of shocking stories by organizations like 60 Minutes. Health advocates and supporters fear LICH, Interfaith and other troubled Brooklyn hospitals are targets of the bill. (On January 25, Gov. Cuomo proposed a similar pilot program, later shot down.)

Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

New York State to Brooklyn hospitals and Brooklyn residents, "Drop dead!"

Anonymous said...

LICH needs your support this Saturday! The fight to save our hospital continues, and is at a critical juncture right now.

Against the odds, we won the first round, when SUNY withdrew its closure plan for LICH. But make no mistake: right now, LICH is again in very serious danger of closing. Despite their public claims that they want to find a solution to keep the hospital running, SUNY is in fact still trying to shut down LICH and sell it off for real estate development.

SUNY is pretending they are searching for a white knight buyer to operate the hospital, but the process is a sham - and in fact they are still trying to close LICH. Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo is absent on this vital issue, leaving everything up to SUNY and the Department of Health (DOH), who want the hospital closed.

Our neighborhoods need our community hospital. We need the vital care provided at LICH - and there are also thousands of jobs at stake. Governor Cuomo oversees SUNY and the DOH. It's time for Governor Cuomo to stop neglecting this issue, thereby allowing SUNY to close LICH.

That's why we are once again rallying to save LICH. Join moms, dads, babies, kids, LICH workers, and concerned members of the community for another Toddler Speakout and Stroller March. This Saturday the 22nd at 10am, we will gather at the LICH playground, then march to Borough Hall, to put Governor Cuomo on notice.

Strollers to roll again to SAVE LICH: Saturday 6/22 at 10am.

Please forward this widely and please also RSVP to Liz Holden at lizaholden@gmail.com so we have a sense of how many people are coming. We will again have some games and fun stuff for the kids. Bring signs too! Thank you.