People who live and work in a large swath of Lower Manhattan are about to lose our last remaining community hospital. Mount Sinai Health System is moving to close down Beth Israel Medical Center. The result will be that Lower Manhattan from Canal Street up to 23rd Street from River to River will become another “hospital desert” in New York City.
On April 2, 2024, DID approved a resolution to call on Governor Kathy Hochul and State Health Commissioner James McDonald to step forward and provide assertive public leadership to:
-
Keep Beth Israel open as a full-service community hospital for Lower Manhattan, whether operated by Mount Sinai Health System or another entity.
-
Assure that residents and workers in Lower Manhattan have local access to the full array of community hospital services, especially for time-sensitive emergency care, childbirth, and psychiatric crisis.
-
Create a formal public comment and community consultation process about the future of Beth Israel Hospital and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.