Councilman Brad Lander Issues Statement On LICH's Potential Closing

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Faculty & students of medical school of the Long Island College Hospital, on porch of original Perry Mansion.

Photo Credit:NYPL Digital Gallery

Councilman Brad Lander just released the statement below regarding the potential closing of Long Island College Hospital. Read on:

Statement on Cuomo Administration’s Jeopardizing of Long Island College Hospital

I was very distressed to learn this morning that the Cuomo Administration has decided to delay grants to Long Island College Hospital/SUNY Downstate Medical Center, which may force the hospital into bankruptcy. I call on the governor to immediately restore these promised grants, in order to protect the health and safety of Brooklynites.

Long Island College Hospital serves people from throughout Brooklyn, and is especially important to residents of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens, for whom it is the nearest medical facility. Long Island College Hospital operates 300 beds, and annually delivers over 2,500 babies and has over 55,000 emergency room visits. Long Island College Hospital also provides 2,500 people with good jobs.

Last year -- in recognition of financial challenges facing LICH, and in dialogue with the community -- LICH began the process of merging with SUNY Downstate Medical Center. That deal will both preserve LICH as a great community hospital, and achieve efficiencies in the delivery of health care in Brooklyn. As part of the deal, LICH and SUNY Downstate were promised $62 million in state grants.

By delaying these grants, and suggesting that they might be cancelled, the Cuomo Administration is placing the merger, the survival of LICH, and the health of our communities in jeopardy.

I ask Governor Cuomo to respect the State's commitment to LICH/SUNY Downstate, to immediately restore these grants, and to help secure the future of LICH, SUNY Downstate, and the health of our communities.

Related Reading:

Neighborhood To Lose LICH After All?

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