Published
Have been following the ongoing saga of LICH/SUNY Downstate for awhile now, indeed ever since they abruptly shut down the school of nursing. Sadly however as one has posted elsewhere it is Saint Vinny's all over again and while one is hoping you guys can save LICH, don't see how it can happen.
Long Island College Hospital was first looted,pillaged and otherwise poorly managed by Continuum Health Partners. Then what was left of the once profit making facility was "dumped" onto SUNY Downstate in a deal that got CHP out of debts but saddled LICH with paying over 2 million per month to CHP for billing services.
Just as with Saint Vincent's/Catholic Healthcare System LICH has been so badly managed by those at the top that it now sadly is worth more (via land values) than to keep the place open as a full service hospital. It would take a huge infusion of funding and or other ways to clear LICH's debts just to stablise, form there funding would also have to be found to not only keep the place open but turn it into a facility that offers services the community would use and can make money.
The logical solution would be something NYS pushed before; to have SUNY Downstate close or move substantial amounts of services from the Flatbush campus (which is right across the street and competes with King's County), to LICH. However SUNY administration turned down that idea flat.
Every major NYC hospital system has been approached and turned down purchasing LICH so that rules out that option. Neither NYS nor NYC have the money or will to step in either. That Quinn woman was out at LICH talking about how LICH and community hospitals must be "saved", but Saint Vincent's was in her home district and that didn't help them much. Best deal Greenwhich Village got healthcare wise was pushing the Rudin family real estate land grab for the former StV's campus, and whatever urgent care NS-LIJ is supposed to open in the O'Toole building.
FastedieLarbrisky
3 Posts

www.labornotes.org/2013/04/saving-hospital-keeping-profit-out-patient-care