Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes has ordered SUNY to restore servies at LICH to the levels they were at on July 19. Baynes also said he would name an ombudsman for the hospital and added that the armed and unarmed guards SUNY has employed to patrol the grounds must go.

RELATED: Semi-Homemade Solution: Is Cuomo Looking For Peace With Honor In #SaveLICH Drama?

Brooklyn Eagle: The “standstill order” will keep LICH open for care until discussions between SUNY Downstate and a number of groups working to keep LICH open resolve the matter through negotiation. In his order, Justice Baynes said that he has been advised by the Special Referee “that the parties are engaged in ongoing good faith negotiations and hope to resolve the matter to their satisfaction.”

Twitter was buzzing long into the night with congratulations from patients, staff and representatives who have been working around the clock to keep the hospital open.

SUNY tried 2 padlock LICH, violated court orders in broad daylight. Now after court fight, huge step fwd 2 #SaveLICH: http://t.co/U8hwDpISoD

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) August 17, 2013

Congrats @nynurses @1199 @BilldeBlasio on today's #SaveLICH court order to restore services to 7/19 levels. pic.twitter.com/8BX34zMnBZ

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) August 16, 2013

@Esspring @nynurses @bradlander @StephenLevin33 @Desi30 @BilldeBlasio #savelich YES we Can! Yes we DID! LICH Saves Lives! Thanks all!

— Sue Raboy (@incasue) August 17, 2013

#saveLICH. Newest member of Patients for LICH sends shout out to ICU RNs. @oceanblueskies @andersen_nancy pic.twitter.com/21gWsHk7ci

— michelle green (@michellegreen70) August 17, 2013

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/61779

NYC Public Advocate and Democratic candidate for mayor Bill DiBlasio tweeted out a map detailing the impact on door-to-ER travel time if Long Island College Hospital shuts down permanently.

In the words of a #SaveLICH demonstrator recently, “don’t get sick in this part of Brooklyn.”

Why #SaveLICH? Here's a look at the before & after distances to the nearest ER if you live in Cobble Hill, #Brooklyn: pic.twitter.com/CUvnYENmDR

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 25, 2013

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/61383

After mounting community pressure and a unanimous vote from the NYC Council this week to support its existence, SUNY Downstate has officially withdrawn its application the the State Department of Health to close Long Island College Hospital. According to SUNY Downstate’s press release, forwarded to us by City Councilman Stephen Levin:

“The financial conditions at LICH remain unchanged. LICH’s continued financial losses still threaten the viability of Downstate Medical and our world-renowned medical school. We are withdrawing the closure plan so we can work with the State and other stakeholders on a sustainability plan for Brooklyn’s only medical school and to ensure quality medical care throughout the borough. The current legal proceedings prohibit this dialogue,” said Downstate President Dr. John F. Williams, Jr.

We will keep you advised of developments.

Tweets about “#savelich”

And this statement from our man in the NYS Senate Daniel Squadron:

It’s good news that SUNY is withdrawing its closure plan for LICH. Now there’s a real opportunity for a collaborative process that engages the community and local leaders on LICH’s future.
We’ve been making our voices heard loud and clear: LICH is vital to Brooklyn. And it’s clear we’re being heard.
As nearly the entire Brooklyn delegation wrote last week, it’s critical that any decision on LICH’s future includes community and legislative input. I continue to urge the state to form a working group to ensure those voices are a key part of the process.
This is a positive step on SUNY’s part and I urge the state and SUNY to continue to work with us to ensure that the needs of our community and all of Brooklyn are met.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/57954

Cobble Hill Association president Roy Sloane released a video today produced the the organization to raise awareness about the fight to save Long Island College Hospital.

In a letter to the press this morning he writes:

As you all all aware, SUNY Downstate is moving forward with it’s plans to close LICH to convert it’s real estate valued at $500 to $800 million into cash to prop up the immense loses at SUNY Downstate. Since the beginnIng of this crisis, I have asked every doctor, nurse, EMT, ambulance driver and paramedic this question: “Will people die?”

The answer from every single professional that I have asked is “Yes!” To dramatize this danger, the Cobble Hill Association has created a TV commercial called “LICH Two Minutes to Live” and will be launching our campaign on of thirty second spots on NEW YORK ONE this week.

This proposed closure of our hospital represents a grave danger for for all the nearly 1 million people who live, work, shop, and play in Downtown Brooklyn but most especially for the residents of the surrounding communities who depend on Long Island College Hospital for critical emergency care. Going further to get to another hospital spells disaster or death for many stroke, cardiac and accident victims.

The CHA provided two documents along with the video:

LICH-Seven Key Points Fact Sheet by info1139

LICH and SUNY Facts Provided by CHA (1)

Source: Cobble Hill Blog
http://cobblehillblog.com/archives/8223

The SUNY Board of Trustees voted to close Long Island College Hospital today in a public meeting held in Westchester:

NY Daily News:  Shutting the 150-year-old Cobble Hill facility must be approved by the state Health Dept. and would take at least 90 days to complete. Layoff notices will go out to LICH’s 2000 employees “within days,” an official said.

 

“We are resource poor. We don’t have the financial sustenance to keep LICH open,” said SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher as SUNY trustees voted at the meeting held at state College at Purchase in Westchester.

More than 100 workers and former patients bused to the meeting by the nurses’ union chanted “The vote is fixed. Don’t close LICH” during the meeting.

SUNY Bd of trustees just voted once again to close LICH @ SUNY Purchase. twitter.com/ErinEBillups/s…

— Erin Billups (@ErinEBillups) March 19, 2013

#LICH @nynurses, caregivers & patients post-vote. “Are we discouraged?” “No!” #SaveLICH twitter.com/DanielSquadron…

— Daniel Squadron (@DanielSquadron) March 19, 2013

Tweets about “#savelich”

Top photo via @ErinEBillups

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/56511

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz testified before the Assembly Health Committee at Brooklyn Borough Hall today. Here’s the transcript of his testimony:

This morning’s unanimous vote by the board of SUNY Downstate to shut down LICH is simply unacceptable. Closing LICH jeopardizes the health and well-being of thousands of Brooklynites and will have serious effects on our economy.

LICH provides essential medical treatment for thousands of Brooklynites with chronic conditions and those seeking emergency care—without it, they will lose their lifeline.

Comptroller DiNapoli’s audit claims that LICH is underutilized, yet according to several reports, including a study by the New York Nurses Association, LICH averaged a 90 percent occupancy rate. And in 2010, LICH delivered more than 3,000 babies, and treated over 4,000 infants in its neo-natal unit and nearly 2,000 heart patients.

The statistics clearly show that LICH is not underutilized.

Furthermore, the New York Nurses Association also found that in 2012 there were well over 120,000 patient visits to LICH. Roughly 20 percent of those were emergency room visits, meaning without LICH, one out of every five patients would have had to go elsewhere, losing valuable time in the process. And in life threatening situations, every second counts.

And the hospital’s hard working staff has clearly proven their capabilities and dedication as they are essentially operating with half the required resources. The facility has been staffed and budgeted for no more than 250 beds, yet the hospital has more than 500 beds!

Sadly, these 2,000 dedicated doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are in danger of losing their jobs. Many of these employees live in Brooklyn, so closing LICH would have devastating economic consequences that would ripple across Brooklyn. And right now, the last thing we want to do is hurt our already fragile economy.

In the debate on LICH’s future, we cannot ignore the simple fact that the real estate value of the LICH property is estimated at $500 million dollars. It raises the serious concern that this hospital may be viewed more valuable closed than open. But whatever profits SUNY might gain from real estate will be more than offset by the loss in jobs and valuable medical service to our community.

It’s plain to see that closing LICH would be a serious mistake, so I call on SUNY’s board to rethink this rash decision and continue working to find alternative solutions that would ensure that Brooklynites do not lose critical medical services.

BHB file photo by Claude Scales

Tweets about “#savelich”

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/55136