In it's continuing effort to close Long Island College Hospital, SUNY Downstate has now diverted all ambulances from LICH-- even though it is fully staffed and open. Even if you live immediately adjacent to the hospital you will NOT be taken to LICH if you call 911 for emergency service. All ambulances will be sent to Methodist, Brooklyn Hospital or any other hospital that has available beds. Only walk-in patients will be admitted to the LICH emergency room. Emergency patients requiring critical or acute care will be stabilized and then sent at other hospitals.
The Cobble Hill Association made a TV commercial highlighting this issue:
LICH Two Minutes to Live commercial - YouTube
What can you do:
Let Governor Cuomo know that he needs to take charge. So far, he has refused to meet with our local elected officials. Tell Governor Cuomo that we expect him, as our elected representative, to act in the best interests of the western Brooklyn residential and business community.
Write to: The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Call: (518) 474-8390
Email: Greg.Smiley@exec.ny.gov
For your convenience, simply sign and send the following message:
Governor Cuomo,
As a constituent, I urge you to develop a plan to save Long Island College Hospital so that it can provide needed health care for the fast-growing residential and business communities of western Brooklyn. As Governor, you must act to insure (i) that the process is transparent, (ii) that Downstate makes current audited LICH financial records available to all interested parties, and (iii) that a 150-year-old teaching hospital is not summarily closed without a full assessment of the community's needs by the NYS Department of Health.
4 comments:
The doctors have a plan top save lich - mentioned on NY1 The Call on 7/11. Give LICH its independence from SUNY, give it back to the community, reduce beds to about 250-275, continue full services, partially financially supported by sale of some surplus assests, & allow it to find its own new operator. Cuomo needs to meet with our representatives in this community, discuss their plan for LICH & APPROVE IT!
Is it true that Brooklyn Hospital is now on diversion for ambulances too tonight. Due to over-crowding. Methodist won't be far behind. That takes care of the SUNY logic that says closing LICH is not a problem because "there are 2 other hospitals within a few short miles".
As it is now, LICH's ER is functioning as little more than an another urgent care center (there already is an urgent care center there - the Fast Track center). This doesn't work for the communities that depend on a real ER & hospital service there.
As co-owner of an ambulance company, i can assure you that most 911 providers will take you to the hospital of your choice, UNLESS you are about to deliver, then one of two things may happen.. 1.) they take you to the nearest hospital, for your safety and the baby's 2.) they deliver enroute to the hospital of your choice. It's the patients right to go to the hospital of thier choice. So yeah, u shouldnt have any problem with that. :)
brooklyn hospital emergency room
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