General

LICH has 11 patients left; SUNY faces probe by Brooklyn DA and State AG

July 24, 2013 Heather Chin

Share this:

The drama continues for anyone affiliated with Long Island College Hospital (LICH) and SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

This week saw multiple protests and rallies in Brooklyn and Manhattan, a funeral march across the Brooklyn Bridge, more cutbacks and restrictions on patient services, another Brooklyn State Supreme Court temporary restraining order, State Health Department approval of SUNYs proposal to close LICH, seven offers from potential buyers for LICHAlthough some see the back-and-forth as only prolonging the inevitable closure and selling of LICHs real estate, estimated to be valued at over $500 million, LICH supporters show no signs of slowing down their social, political and legal efforts to keep LICHand other Brooklyn hospitals, such as Interfaith Medical Centeropen.

For everyone involved in the Save LICH and Save Interfaith communities, we know its a matter of life or death, said Jeff Strabone, who is a board member of the Cobble Hill AssociationPeople will die in crowded emergency rooms or ambulances, Strabone, who was one of 15 people arrested at a protest at SUNYs Midtown offices on July 10. This is a tipping point. It stops with us. Were not going to let it happen.

It’s time for an independent overseer for LICH,which the state and the court must insist on, declared elected officials, the list of which include State Senator Daniel Squadron,Congressmember Nydia Velázquez, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblymember Joan Millman and Councilmembers Brad Lander and Stephen Levin.

On July 24, it was announced that both Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes office and NYS AG Eric Schneidermans office are delving into whether SUNY Downstate is breaking state law by shutting down the ER and barring ambulances from bringing patients to LICH. If criminal culpability is found, then SUNY administrators could face jail time.

SUNY Downstate has denied allegations that they are breaking any laws or violating any of the multiple temporary restraining orders (TROs) that bar them from keeping LICH at full operations.

SUNY Downstate spokesperson Robert Bellafiore stated, The hospital is not closing [as of yet] since no hospital in New York State can close without the approval of the Department of Health.

However, the State Health Department has approved SUNYs closure plan for LICHalthough it is unknown whether that can be implemented as State Supreme Court Judge Johnny Lee Baynes issued another TRO against closure.

SUNY is not in violation of any court order whatsoever, maintained Bellafiore. The Temporary Restraining Order has been stayed by appeal.

SUNY also argues that there is not enough LICH staff on hand to treat patients. However, LICH doctors and nurses dispute that claim. There are currently 80 nurses on duty for the 11 patients currently in the hospitals 250 beds.

De Blasio has since sued SUNY Downstate for trying to close the facility without proper approval.

This community has been lied to, he contended.At the same time, SUNY and the governor [Andrew Cuomo] promised everything possible was being done to save LICH, they were preparing to sell it off to the highest bidder. SUNY is violating a court order to keep this hospital open, and we wont let it stand. The same luxury condos being put up over St. Vincents will soon rise over LICH if we dont stop this in its tracks.

Also of concern was the fact that New York City had been in the middle of a heat wave, said NYSNA Executive Director Jill Furillo.

We have doctors, nurses, staff there waiting to take care of patients, said Furillo while the heat wave was still raging. We think patients are at risk in Brooklyn. This is the worst heat wave in 20 years in the city and ambulances are being taken away with people with heat-related diseases. . . This is the worst time ever to be closing down that hospital which needs to be open for patients.