Protecting Brooklyn's safety net


 

The Facts about Interfaith Hospital and 
the Brooklyn Health Care Crisis



February 1, 2013

The Governor appointed a Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) to look at the state's Medicaid program and cut $2.1 billion. As part of the MRT, a committee was set up to make recommendations about five (5) Brooklyn hospitals: Interfaith, Brooklyn, Wyckoff, LICH and Brookdale. This committee was composed of five members from outside of Central Brooklyn, and chaired by Stephen Berger, an investment banker. Among the committee's recommendations were that Interfaith Hospital and Wyckoff Hospital be merged with Brooklyn Hospital, which would be the lead. Wyckoff Hospital pulled out of these discussions, leaving Interfaith and Brooklyn to negotiate the terms for a merger agreement.

What is the current situation?

  • There have been ongoing negotiations between Brooklyn and Interfaith Hospitals involving the terms of the merger.
  • Brooklyn Hospital wants to be able to take over Interfaith and appoint the board that will be responsible for both hospitals. A hostile take-over?
  • There are no guarantees that Interfaith would stay open as a hospital. One plan (although the process has been a secret) would cut many services from Interfaith- leaving psychiatric beds and services for the elderly, and/or a hospice. The community needs a full service hospital.
  • Interfaith Hospital declared bankruptcy so that it could reorganize and limit some of its debts. Although asked to remove the board and leadership of Interfaith, the bankruptcy judge refused to order this move.
  • In the meantime, the State Health Department, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (which funds capital projects), and the Governor's office are holding up badly-needed public funding for Interfaith Hospital that would ensure its continued survival as a hospital.
  • Does the Governor want a WIN by seeing this merger take place, since the other recommendations by his MRT committee have unraveled? Many recommendations had to be dropped because of the fight waged by the community, unions and local elected.
  • By taking these actions, the Governor and the State Health Department could be depriving Central Brooklyn communities of badly-needed community health services.
Save Our Safety Net- Campaign (SOS-C) www.soscny.wordpress.com



SOS-C in Brooklyn

Additional maps of Brooklyn and closed hospitals with race and ethnicity, November 2011
Brooklyn Closed and Endangered Hospitals- Black Population
Brooklyn Closed and Endangered Hospitals- Hispanic Population

 

 Documents

4/09/13 Brooklyn_safety_net_4.9.13
 

1/11/12  SOS-C Review of the "Berger" Brooklyn report

10/19 Creating a Vision for Brooklyn's Health Care System: A Report of the Brooklyn Healthcare Working Group by Senator John Sampson's Task Force

For more information on the media conference, go here. 
 

8/1 CPHS Testimony at the MRT Brooklyn Work Group Public Hearing 

5/2 Brooklyn Forum- Safety Nets Flyer

Proposed Actions to Protect Brooklyn's Health



Photos from Brooklyn Stakeholder Meetings at Brooklyn Borough Hall

Rally to save SUNY Downstate