The wave of hospital closings continue into the de Blasio-Mark-Viverito administration from the Bloomberg-Quinn administration, because lying, cheating politicians, first promise to meet community demands to save our hospitals, but then turn out to fail to live up to their campaign promises.
2014-05-22 Bill de Blasio Hospital Closings Flyer by Connaissable
If the winning bidder for Long Island College Hospital (LICH) does not have a license to operate a hospital in New York state, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Health Commissioner Nirav Shah could jeopardise the future of LICH.
Had the city's Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) submitted a bid, LICH would have had a greater chance of maintaining full-service hospital care for the community. It's not known if HHC could still partner with one of the bidders for licensing purposes. Since most healthcare activists, led principally by healthcare unions, are held captive in veal pens by the new de Blasio administration, there's no real advocacy to press Mayor Bill de Blasio to use HHC resources, such as its licensing permits, to help save LICH.
Optimism and confusion over LICH proposals
By Dan Goldberg
Mar. 26, 2014 | 5:00 a.m.In the end, it might be a technicality that undoes a number of long-sought bids to maintain Long Island College Hospital as a full-service medical facility.
The issue, mentioned during Tuesday night's community forum at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, regards the licensing of the buyer, after the hospital is sold by SUNY and the interpretation of Article 28 of New York's public health law, a technical but crucial point that could determine the fate of the hospital.
Community members, who were briefed last night on proposals from nine separate bidders to purchase and redevelop LICH, favor the ones who plan for a full-service health care facility. (Some of the bids propose to develop some residential units on the site.)
The potential problem is that none of the bidders proposing a full-service facility currently run a hospital in New York. That means they'd need a certificate from the state's Department of Health before they can begin operations.
There has been some concern that it would take months, or even years, to obtain such permission, which would jeopardize even the limited services currently in place at LICH.
Jim Walden, an attorney who represented community groups in the suit against SUNY and the state, said an out-of-state bidder wouldn't have trouble obtaining temporary permission to run LICH provided SUNY and the state's Department of Health are willing to cooperate.
But whether that cooperation would be forthcoming remains a question, given health commissioner Nirav Shah's and Governor Andrew Cuomo's repeated statements that there are already too many in-patient beds in Brooklyn.
No Political Commitment to Save Hospitals
Brookdale Hospital, Interfaith Medical Center, and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center will now have to down-size in order to survive, aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today. No mention was made if Long Island College Hospital, a fourth Brooklyn hospital that has been targeted for closure by Gov. Cuomo, would survive the chopping block.
As part of a controversial Medicaid waiver, New York state must reduce inpatient hospital beds across the board in accordance with the wishes of Stephen Berger, a New York investment banker and member of a working group of Gov. Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team. Since 2006, Mr. Berger has overseen the closure or down-sizing of 11 hospitals in New York City alone.
Gov. Cuomo wants to use some of the money from the Medicaid waiver to down-size hospitals into urgent care centers, emergency units, and specialized treatment facilities. “We will be able to fund the structural and rebuilding needed to transform hospitals so they can be profitable and thrive and remain open,” one aide to Gov. Cuomo said.
Because the Medicaid waiver was negotiated in secret, it is not known if any of the down-sized facilities in Brooklyn will "transform" into spin-offs as for-profit healthcare corporations.
No response, yet, from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who campaigned outside the former St. Vincent's Hospital with a promise to stop hospital closings.
Billion in Surplus State and City Budgets
Gov. Cuomo says that New York state has no money to save our hospitals, yet he is spending "surplus" state tax money that was "made" by closing entire hospitals. From this "pot of gold," the governor is offering tax breaks to the wealthy and to corporations, so much so that the Moral Monday movement is now coming to Albany, to fight the irresponsible way in which Gov. Cuomo has politicized state tax dollars. Many observers note that Gov. Cuomo is diverting "surplus" money from healthcare cuts to cozy up to corporate supporters in order to increase his margin of victory in his re-election bid later this year as a way to launch a campaign for the 2016 presidential race.
Mayor de Blasio has also attracted some scrutiny in how he's using tax money. The new mayor enjoys a $3 billion budget surplus, and the city stands to make an additional $1 billion from the sale of new air rights around Grand Central Terminal as part of the mayor's plan to rezone the east side of Midtown Manhattan. But so far, Mayor de Blasio has not proposed to use any of these resources to save two hospitals on the verge of closure, Long Island College Hospital or Interfaith Medical Center, both in Brooklyn.
As each of Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio plan their next budgets, now is the time to hold them to account to save our community hospitals.
Politicians are playing a deadly game with people's lives over the hospital closings crisis that is gripping New York City. But very few politicians own up to the fact that the hospital closing crisis is being manufactured by both the state government under an Orwellian plan first under the Berger Commission and later under the Medicaid Redesign Team, originally dating back to at least 2006.
On NY1, you were defending downsizing LICH. To stop hospital closings, you need to stand up to both mayor and governor. @BPEricAdams
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 10, 2014Because Mayor Bill de Blasio took advantage of health care unions concerned with hospital closings, his mayoral campaign catapulted over former Council Speaker Christine Quinn's own campaign in last year's mayoral election. But now that the mayor is loath to come up with the city tax dollars to actually bail out Long Island College Hospital and Interfaith Medical Center, the lesser-ranking city officials are left in a quandry : afraid to hold the mayor accountable to his campaign promises, but still let to have to "go through the motions" to quell union and voter anger over how quickly the mayor and the Public Advocate's office have abandoned any concrete plans to save full-service hospital care at LICH and Interfaith.
Neoliberal openly-gay attorney helped to enable "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy under Clinton administration
Richard Socarides is an LGBT political operative, who worked for the Clinton administration, authoring talking points to help defend President Clinton's discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. He is also a trustee of the State University of New York (SUNY), being one of the trustees that have enabled Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Wall Street banker Stephen Berger to close Long Island College Hospital.
Socarides Same Sex Marriage Talking Points by Paul Schindler
SUNY Took Over LICH To Sell the Real Estate - Where Is the Criminal Investigation ? (True News)
If #SUNY's 2011 takeover of #LICH was encumbered by fraud, then the dealmakers must be investigated http://t.co/xXhMeiFwlu #Preet
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) August 21, 2013
Judge Carolyn Demarest has found that SUNY may have taken over Long Island College Hospital with the intention of "a more sinister purpose to seize its assets and dismantle the hospital." If the 2011 SUNY takeover of LICH was encumbered by fraud, then Stanley Brezenoff, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the SUNY Board of Trustees, Carl McCall, and Stephen Berger need to be investigated.
On the Brooklyn Bridge this afternoon, about one thousand activists trying to save #LICH and #Interfaith took part in a mock funeral march mourning the collapse in public health caused by the threat of several Brooklyn hospital closings. Here, members of OWS Healthcare for the 99% portrayed Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the Grim Reaper responsible for trying to close Brooklyn hospitals.
Read more : March, rally to protest Long Island College Hospital closing
Is Christine Quinn the "Doctor Death" of New York City hospital closings ?
Will Long Island College Hospital and Interfaith Medical Center be added to this list of hospitals that New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has allowed Real Estate Developers to close ?
Christine Quinn had 10 chances to save 10 NYC hospitals from closing or downsizing.
She saved none.
In the time that Christine Quinn has been Speaker of the New York City Council, ten hospitals have been closed or down-sized :
If your life depends on comprehensive emergency care, how safe will you be with Christine Quinn as mayor ?
"We Need A Hospital. We Don't Need Condos."
On Friday, approximately 100 community activists endured an unconscionable heat wave to denounce efforts by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to close Long Island College Hospital ("LICH").
The noon-time rally took place at the LICH campus in Brooklyn. LICH has been facing imminent closure through several backchannel attempts by the Cuomo administration to close any hospital in Brooklyn as part of radical cuts to healthcare that Gov. Cuomo wants to make to window-dress the New York State budget.
Unfortunately for Gov. Cuomo, New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has found the courage to challenge the governor's quest to shut down LICH.
A few hours after this photograph was taken, Mr. de Blasio triumphantly returned to LICH with a Temporary Restraining Order in a last-minute effort to keep LICH open.
2013 07 19 Bill de Blasio TRO LICH
The next few weeks will tell whether Mr. de Blasio's efforts will prove successful.
I don't know how much he really did to try to save St. Vincent's Hospital, but it is finally a good sign that he is at least speaking about the need to stop the hospital closings.
Any merger between two weak hospitals is a bad idea. We should fund each hospital so that it can fully meet the needs of their own patients.
At the health fair at Long Island College Hospital (LICH) this afternoon, Councilmember Tish James described some of the horrifying conditions that are being caused by the illegal diversion and transfer of patients from LICH
SUNY Downstate has been diverting ambulances from LICH, and SUNY has been discharging and transferring patients to other hospitals, as well. These acts are being undertaken in violation of a court order and in a deliberate effort to force the closing of LICH, which is an important underpinning of public health in Brooklyn.
In her remarks today, Councilmember James said that 5 fist fights broke out at Brooklyn Hospital Center on Friday, because of the overcrowded patient conditions. People who are in medical emergencies are literally having to fight for healthcare. In her speech, Councilmember called on Gov. Cuomo to show leadership, and she made other demands for healthcare, including a moratorium on hospital closings.
Mayoral Candidates. We need to ask the mayoral candidates whether they will help us to ask that the Lenox Hill urgent care center be upgraded to a full-service hospital, with the ideal situation being the restoration of a Level I Trauma Center.
Christine Quinn Update. We still don't know if Speaker Quinn will help save LICH with money from her access to over $400 million in capital improvement funds, but time is running out. LICH needs money this week.
So, the minute that activists started running campaign TV commercials about hospital closings, all of a sudden politicians actually start saving hospitals ?
Hmmmmmmm ... ?
SUNY withdraws closure plan for LICH. Read full press release on our blog cobblehillassociation.blogspot.com/2013/04/suny-w… @brooklyncb6 @cobblehill_blog #saveLICH
— Cobble Hill Assoc (@CobbleHillAssoc) April 26, 2013
New ad blasts @chriscquinn for role in closing of #StVincentsHospital youtu.be/J3b4ZaU1nI0 @chrischristineq @herdizzoner @iamdeputymayor
— Stop Christine Quinn (@stopchrisquinn) April 24, 2013
But pressure on @nygovcuomo won't ever produce results, if electeds only start petitions. youtube.com/watch?v=EI-gLP…
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) March 29, 2013
Patients would never vote to close 10 NYC hospitals. Yet, since 2006, that is what Stephen Berger has done with political enabler help.
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) April 26, 2013
Oft-repeated refrain at #strikedebt rally at St. Vincent's was that 10 hospitals have closed in NYC since 2006 thevillager.com/2013/03/28/occ… #Gov1%
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) March 28, 2013
@chriscquinn @dnainfo Quinn got blasted in #Redhook mtng for her poor response on LICH. No support to #saveLICH = no votes from #Brooklyn
— js (@oceanblueskies) March 29, 2013
After 10 NYC Hospital Closings Since 2006, Gov. 1% Wants To Close More Hospitals ! What ?
Long Island College Hospital supporters are sponsoring a Change.org petition to save LICH. The sponsored include these New York State legislators : Assemblywoman Joan Millman and State Senator Daniel Squadron.
In conjunction with State Senators Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin Parker, Martin Malave Dilan, Diane Savino, Martin Golden, John Sampson, and Eric Adams -- and State Assembly Members: Alan Maisel, Joseph R. Lentol, Peter J. Abbate Jr., James Brennan, Alec Brook-Krasny, and Felix Ortiz.
These LICH supporters should not vote on Gov. 1% Cuomo's state budget until he save LICH -- and until both legislative houses hold a full hearing on the single-payer bill. Even after the 10 hospital closings, which have taken place in New York City since 2006, this year's state budget put together by Gov. Cuomo behind closed doors does not include a bailout for SUNY Downstate.
Show your support of LICH by signing this petition : Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYS Health Department Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah : Keep University Hospital Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital open
A Brooklyn judge prevented the closure of Long Island College Hospital, because officials from the State University of New York plotted in private to close the facility, according to court documents made public last Thursday, according to DNAinfo.
SUNY Downstate submits closure plan for Long Island College Hospital ; nobody makes connection to @newyorkmrt nydailynews.com/new-york/brook… #LICH
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 21, 2013
Closure plan for Long Island College Hospital lets @nygovcuomo and @newyorkmrt off hook for responsibility nydailynews.com/new-york/brook… #LICH
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 21, 2013
Closure plan for #LICH follows pattern of other shady luxury condo conversions of hospitals #StVincents nydailynews.com/new-york/brook… @chriscquinn
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 21, 2013
Closure plan for #LICH is win for #neoliberalism and loss for #publichealth @nygovcuomo @newyorkmrt nydailynews.com/new-york/brook… @healthcarefor99
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 21, 2013
Where is Coalition for a New Village Hospital on #LICH closure plan ? nydailynews.com/new-york/brook… @yettakurland
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 21, 2013
NY State and @nygovcuomo want to end acute healthcare access to poor people in Brooklynbkbureau.org/dueling-prescr… @cdcmmwr @american_heart
— StopNYMRT (@StopNYMRT) February 14, 2013
SUNY board unanimously approves closure of LI College Hosp and crowd erupts "Shame! Shame!" yfrog.com/oe7kepij
— FRED MOGUL (@fredmogul) February 8, 2013
Call Gov. Andrew Cuomo : (212) 681-4580. Tell him : Save our hospitals !
Rally on 31 Jan 2013 to save Interfaith Hospital and Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn.
Gov. Cuomo and his political aide, the investment banker monster Stephen Berger, are obsessed with closing hospitals. And now, they are setting up "for profit" hospitals in Brooklyn. This is dangerous !!
Gov. Cuomo, in a supreme act of failed neoliberalism policies, has proposed to make Brooklyn one of two counties in the state as a pilot project, in which current state regulations would be to waived to allow for-profit health care investments. (Read more : Judy Wessler).
