Planned Shuttering of Hospital Goes into Temporary Remission
A community campaign to forestall the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, one of two hospitals that serve Lower Manhattan, has persuaded the State’s Department of Health (DOH) to withhold approval of the hospital’s decision.
After a coalition of elected officials representing the communities served by the facility prevailed upon the DOH to conduct a review of the hospital’s plan to shut down, the agency determined that Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s plan was incomplete and that it contained inconsistencies, according to an agency representative. In particular, the DOH challenged Beth Israel’s claim of massive financial losses, noting that this assertion was not corroborated by independent evidence. On that basis, the DOH has withheld approval of Beth Israel’s proposed shutdown, which is tentatively slated for July.
This move follows DOH’s issuance in December of a cease-and-desist order, to prevent Beth Israel (located at First Avenue and 16th Street) from gradually eliminating departments and suspending services at the hospital, a pattern that critics have decried as stealth closure.
State Senator Brian Kavanagh, who has been a leader in the fight to prevent the hospital from closing, said, “this is a major win for our community, which has for months been raising the alarm about the negative effects this planned closure would have on access to healthcare in Lower Manhattan.”
“While this is not an outright rejection of the plan,” he continued, “it brings more accountability to one of the biggest health systems in New York.”
State Assembly member Grace Lee said, “Mount Sinai’s persistent unwillingness to engage in transparent, good faith discussions with our community regarding this closure is unacceptable. It is turning its back on our community. I am proud to join elected officials, community members, and advocates to call on Mount Sinai and the Department of Health to join us at the table to find a solution that protects Lower Manhattan residents.”
City Council member Christopher Marte said, “the looming closure of Beth Israel will make access to healthcare more difficult for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. This is a matter of the utmost urgency as Beth Israel continues to cease services, turning away patients.”
A spokesman for Beth Israel did not respond to a request for comment.