LICH closure proposal withdrawn by SUNY Downstate
BY DENISE ROMANO AND HEATHER J. CHIN
This afternoon, SUNY Downstate Medical Center withdrew its closure plan for Long Island College Hospital (LICH) from the New York State Department of Health (DOH), stating that it would instead continue to look for a healthcare service provider within the neighborhoods served by LICH — Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, and Downtown Brooklyn — potentially including another hospital operator.
The announcement marks a victory for residents of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Downtown Brooklyn, who, along with LICH nurses and physicians and area politicians, have waged an impassioned ongoing campaign to keep their community hospital open, staging protests and rallies, and bussing LICH supporters to closure hearings throughout the city and state.