NYAPRS Note: The imminent closure of Interfaith and LICH hospitals in Brooklyn may be the first test in a new relationship between Albany and NYC, as newly elected Mayor de Blasio begins to lay out his priorities for the direction of the city. Ultimately, the decision to close the struggling hospitals or not will rest with state leadership; the bold position of de Blasio against the closures will have people watching how Albany responds. Similar political moves around the country often determine how resources are allocated in a medical system that is shifting to meet demands of a system that is aimed at greater accountability for its spending and health outcomes.
De Blasio Vows to Fight Hospital Closures
Crain’s NY Business; Andrew J. Hawkins, 1/20/2014
Speaking at a Martin Luther King Day celebration in Brooklyn Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to accept the imminent closures of Interfaith Medical Center and Long Island College hospitals, even though the funds needed to keep both facilities in business have run out.
“Sometimes you watch the news and you see dire reports about hospitals, and I don’t blame anyone who might believe those reports after what we’ve seen in the last decade,” Mr. de Blasio said in front of a packed crowd at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, with his wife Chirlane McCray at his side. “But we’ve seen it again and again at Interfaith, and we’ve seen it again and again at Long Island College Hospital—it ain’t over till it’s over.”
Despite the mayor’s rousing rhetoric, the situation for both hospitals has grown increasingly dire. Interfaith has recently defaulted on its financing agreement with the state, while the Brooklyn hospital’s embattled CEO has reportedly been fired by the board. Ambulances have been diverted and the hospital is struggling to meet payroll.
Meanwhile, a court hearing to determine whether the State University of New York should be held in contempt for its plan to close LICH has been delayed. And SUNY continues to weigh bids by several developers who are interested in the hospital, which sits on valuable property in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
Mr. de Blasio did not offer any specifics for how he would save the two struggling facilities, though as public advocate he has participated in several lawsuits aimed at keeping them open. The state health department has the ultimate say in both cases.
But the mayor did seem fully intent to use the power of his bully pulpit to advocate for the rescue of the hospitals. And on Monday, he used the message of Martin Luther King to publicly promote his own agenda, including the expansion of paid sick leave to hundreds of thousands of employees and the funding of universal prekindergarten.
Mr. de Blasio did not mention the workers’ rally at LaGuardia Airport today, where several union members were arrested to protest low wages and lack of benefits. He left that to his new ally in the City Council, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who said that she planned to “stand alongside” airport workers at LaGuardia to “honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.”