Daniel Squadron On LICH Closing: ‘Our Fight Isn’t Over’

By on February 8, 2013 3:59 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn History, Cobble Hill, Government, News

State Senator Daniel Squadron has put up his dukes over Friday morning’s confirmation that Long Island College Hospital will be shuttered by the SUNY Board of Trustees and sold for real estate development.

In a statement, he insists: “Our fight isn’t over. As I said yesterday, SUNY’s plan essentially turns a $63 million state grant into a subsidy for a massive real estate deal that will cut essential services without any community benefit. It should be no surprise that our community and Brooklyn will feel looted with this result. DOH has an opportunity to ensure the needs of this community and all of Brooklyn are met—and that’s precisely what we will urge it to do.”

Squadron testified at Thursday’s public hearing, in which community leaders and locals bemoaned the closing of the 155-year-old facility, at 339 Hicks Street in Cobble Hill.

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  • http://twitter.com/duckumu nick

    Maybe a full hospital isn’t what the community needs, considering how unsuccessful it’s been. And I wouldn’t say conversion to residential user (or whatever it may be) is without “community benefit” as more units in the neighborhood can mean lower prices on housing, as well as increased amenities. I think the neighborhood definitely needs an urgent care facility… but a major hospital?

  • Rick

    Excellent. I just sent him an email and I strongly urge that we all email or call his office to show our support for his efforts in this matter.
    email- squadron@nysenate.gov
    phone- 718-875-1517

  • Gerry

    Nick, LICH did this to LICH. If the hospital had been that great it would not have fallen on hard times. If LICH had been a great place our neighborhood would have used LICH instead fully insured go to other places when possible. Squadron is wasting his time this is a done deal LICH will be closed.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    Thank you, Rich. I have just emailed Senator Squadron. Also, all – please see the post below from the Brooklyn Heights Association. They have been actively supporting saving LICH and Nydia Velazquez will be at their annual meeting this Monday at 7:30PM at the St. Francis College auditorium. That may be a good venue to show our support for the hospital.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    I mean Rick!

  • A neighbor that uses LICH

    Bud out, Gerry

  • jazz

    is there no end to your schmuckishness

  • Gerry

    Do not shoot the messenger my remarks are true. LICH was not a great hospital.

  • Gerry

    LICH had been a crummy hospital and so the people with means did not go. On a number of occasions we chose not to use LICH because of its poor reputation. And I hear that Contiunum has a $500K per year public realtions exec at LICH?

  • Nytom86

    Hate to agree, but it’s true. LICH was an awful hospital and its operating at a huge loss because people choose not to go there to receive medical treatment. however, i do feel terrible that people will lose their jobs

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Wow Nick, that has to be one of the dumbest posts I’ve heard in a long time (and believe me, there’s no shortage of morons on this blog). You can’t to go to an “urgent care facility” when you’re having a heart attack, stroke or in was in a traumatic accident. Do you really want to ride an extra 10-15 minutes to get to an ER if minutes could determine you life or death?
    Luxury housing will mean lower prices, what a imbecile.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Granted LICH had some issues but it is/was far form the worst hospital in NYC. Ever been to Coney Island Hospital? it’s a third world nightmare in there. It makes LICH look like Johns Hopkins… Instead of blabbering on and on how terrible LICH is, why not join the fight to save it and make it become great hospital?

  • Wiley E.

    More new units which give real estate developers tax breaks, and new residents who are exempt from taxes do not lower housing costs. More people place a greater burden on the community’s cost of functioning *fire protection, police, health services). Less services and more people. A very bad equation.

  • Gerry

    LICH stinks!

  • Knight

    The only thing wrong with LICH was that the “elite” wanted their discretionary illnesses handled at “big name” hospitals. Those same people will now be screwed when they have an emergency.

  • MEDICNYC

    Not a good hospital. Most people who go to the hospital for real medical problems travel to Methodist or Manhattan. Another 5 minutes to Methodist and Brooklyn Hospital or even NY Downtown in Manhattan via ambulance in a true emergency. It’s too bad people will lose their jobs. When you find out years in advance that your hospital is a sinking ship it is time to look elsewhere before you are amongst many looking for jobs.

  • MEDICNYC

    Don’t be dramatic. It’s really not that much farther to Methodist via ambulance. Chances are if the ambulance gets there and can’t help you in a medical situation you will die anyway. As far as traumatic incidents, LICH is not and has never been a trauma center. Those patients go to Lutheran, Kings County, or Bellevue

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    I’m not being dramatic. From LICH to Methodist it’s 2.6 miles, according to Google maps, with current traffic 13 minutes. To Lutheran 4.7 miles, 18 minutes. You can shave off some time for an ambulance, but I say 10-15 minutes is a realistic delay.

  • Gerry

    Not really. It is not a big deal to travel to Manhattan or another place. The elite will be OK bet on that. This is not the big deal everyone wants to feel it is the hospital was empty most all of the time.

  • Gerry

    It is unfortunate that jobs will be lost. Regretfully, LICH was a dump and now LICH will close because of that. The $500K LICH Public Relations Exec did a poor job see all of the negative opinions here..

  • Rick

    US News & World Report compiles data about hospitals to create a
    list of the best in various categories. LICH was in the middle of their
    list of best NYC hospitals for 2012. Some of their specialties were
    scored among the best available at any hospital in NYC.

    Methodist and Brooklyn Hospital weren’t even judged good enough to get on that list.

    Not saying that LICH is always the hospital of choice for some elective surgeries, but it seems to be getting a bad rap here.

  • sue

    Daniel loves to get publicity for himself. Ask him where he and his family go for health care. Where was his child born?etc etc. Enough said

  • Gerry

    Good one Sue!

  • Anne

    To think more housing units will lower prices is insane. It seems part of the plan along with the new park and Barclay Center to gentrify this part of Brooklyn. This will definitely take the multi out of multicultural. Secondly, the mismanagement is the reason for the falling of LICH. They have an excellent cardiac unit and neurosurgery unit. In the event of a medical issue pertaining to those units minutes can make the difference between death or a functioning mind. Great if you get to Methodist but you are a vegetable. If it’s not the best hospital – give it a chance to improve for the sake of your family.

  • MonroeOrange

    Sue and Gerry…(must be your wife huh)….This has nothing to do with where Daniel takes his family, and everything to do with the loss of an emergency room much closer to our neighborhood than any other hospital. We are concerned for the loss of EMERGENCY care…

  • ltap917

    What happens to the doctors who have privileges at LICH. My internist was named in the Castle Connolly Guide to best doctors in NY. She is affiliated with LICH and she was the doctor who told me to go to the ER in Nov. and Dec. when I have an emergency.

  • Harry.the.CAT

    You’re being very dramatic!

  • gbkm

    LICH IS OPEN & FULLY FUNCTIONING. The discussion here is very misleading. The Downstate board only voted to ask the state to allow it to get rid of LICH by closing. When the previous owners tried to do that in 2009, the DOH would not allow it, stating “the services are vital to the community”. Nothing’s changed since then. The services are still vital to the community so instead of just closing, Downstate may have to sell to another hospital system — which is the way it got lich from continuum in the first place. Point is LICH IS STILL OPEN, ALIVE & KICKING.