Statement by Lower Manhattan Elected Officials on Court Dismissal of Case Against MSBI Closure
Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Dan Goldman, Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Senator Brian Kavanagh, Senator Liz Krueger, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Assemblymember Grace Lee, Assemblymember Tony Simone, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Council Member Erik Bottcher, Council Member Keith Powers, Council Member Carlina Rivera, and Council Member Chris Marte, all of whom represent parts of Lower Manhattan served by Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, issued the following joint statement:
“A New York State Supreme Court Judge has dismissed the case against Mount Sinai Beth Israel (MSBI) proceeding to close its doors. Notwithstanding this judicial decision or any further litigation, Mount Sinai still may not close without meeting the requirements enumerated by the State Department of Health (DOH) in its conditional approval letter. While nothing will replace a full-service hospital that this community deserves, we will continue to fight to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the health care we need and that all conditions that the DOH has laid out are met by Mount Sinai and enforced by DOH. This includes ensuring that Bellevue Hospital will receive the resources needed to care for the expected increase in patients, that Mount Sinai will operate a new urgent care facility with a robust range of services, and that transfers of patients needing mental health services and other specialized care will be handled smoothly by Mount Sinai’s Rivington Street facility and other healthcare providers. The imposition of these mandatory conditions is a result of our advocacy—the elected officials, many local residents, and community advocates who have joined the fight. We thank everyone who has worked to ensure that no one is left without full access to essential healthcare in our community.”