Brooklyn Judge Takes LICH Away from SUNY Downstate, Puts Albany to Shame

Photo: MK Metz

In an amazing display of sensible justice, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Carolyn Demarest rescinded the two-year-old agreement giving SUNY Downstate ownership of Long Island College Hospital (LICH).

The beleaguered LICH, robbed blind first by Continuum Health Partners and then by SUNY Downstate, could possibly now go to a new trustee. Continuum has already said it doesn't want LICH back.

Justice Demarest said that several suitors have expressed an interest in taking over LICH, and has invited them (and other potential owners) to a meeting on August 22.

In her decision, Justice Demarest put to shame the thuggery of SUNY's board of trustees and SUNY Downstate's administrators with their gangs of lawyers and armed guards, all backed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

According to the Brooklyn Eagle, which has been following this story on an almost daily basis, after reading about "the demise of Long Island College Hospital (LICH) at the hands of the State University of New York (SUNY Downstate)" Justice Demarest became "increasing concerned as to the propriety of my own order granting approval of the transfer of LICH's assets to SUNY Downstate in light of Downstate's apparent lack of stewardship over those assets in advancement of LICH's charitable purpose."

In her decision, Justice Demarest wrote that the original rationale behind the transfer of LICH to SUNY Downstate two years ago "was the representation that LICH would be preserved as a hospital serving the people of Brooklyn."

When it became apparent that SUNY had no intention of keeping its end of the bargain -- and was in fact planning to sell off LICH to prop up its own failing hospital -- Justice Demarest determined that she had "a legal and moral responsibility to correct my earlier error."

In June, Justice Demarest ordered SUNY Downstate to present a full accounting by August 5 of all LICH property, assets and funds transferred to Downstate.

What she saw in that paperwork convinced her to vacate her order of May 13, 2011.


Brooklyn judge orders SUNY to give Long Island College Hospital back to Continuum. Brooklyn Eagle

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