NY Post: SUNY Disses Two Groups Interested In Buying LICH

By on April 10, 2013 10:59 pm in Government

The NY Post reports in a story by Josh Saul and Rich Calder that LICH’s SUNY overlords have refused to open the facility’s books for two hospital groups interested in taking it over. Hackensack University Medical Center and North Shore-LIJ are said to be interested the report claims.

SUNY’s plan to shut down LICH was put on hold by Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes who issued a restraining order until the state follows open meeting laws.

NY Post: “If there was a legitimate interested buyer for LICH, SUNY Downstate would be delighted,” said SUNY Downstate spokesman Steve Greenberg. “If Dr. Soora has interested suitors he should refer them to [SUNY Downstate.]”

Community groups slammed SUNY over what they perceive as torpedoing of efforts to keep open the only hospital directly serving Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill and Downtown Brooklyn.

“Not opening the books would doom any sale with any potential suitor,” said Cobble Hill Association president Roy Sloane, who believes real-estate interests want to turn the site into luxury housing.

“I believe there is a plan to kill and liquidate LICH,” he said.


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  • Wiley E.

    Somebody from SUNY needs to go to jail – very soony. The corruption is stinking up New York State politics – again.

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

    It is indeed clear, criminal chicanery is afoot. While It would be tragic if LICH were to close, It would be kind of cool to convert it to a prison for the SUNY & Continuum boards of directors, if it does. That would be justice.

  • HenryLoL

    We have no right to tell them who they should sell to. None at all.

  • Bob Sacamano

    I certainly believe that LICH should remain open. However, I find it very interesting how in the past posters to the Brooklyn Heights Blog would always complain about the hospital and they would never go there. People would prefer to go to a hospital in the city or another part of Brooklyn. But now that it is closing, everyone is fighting for it to stay open. So which one is it?

  • Bob Stone

    These are two respected and well-run medical systems. They might actually want to run a hospital here, rather than intentionally strangle it, then point to the collapse as the reason for closure and cash in on the real estate.

    Keep writing to Dr. Nirav Shah, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237. Tell him that, just as in 2011, our communities will continue to be underserved and at risk in medical emergencies.

  • Wiley E.

    What would be priceless.

  • Wiley E.

    Give me, give me!
    Who has the right to steal from whom? Yeah, who?

  • Brooklynite

    People with means to go to another hospital for elective surgeries may prefer to go to other hospitals that might be more cutting edge or simply b/c they work in the city and therefore go to a doctor near their job who is affiliated with a hospital in the city. Just because they may prefer not to go to LICH does not mean that they want it to close or acknowledge that it provides care to many others. Some people recognize that there are many people who do not have the option to go to another hospital or simply prefer to go to LICH. When a true emergency strikes and you do not have the luxury of having a preference of going to a specific hospital but rather the hospital with the closet ER, you are glad to have a hospital close by.

  • William Spier, Ph.D.

    The Governor does not like hospitals,especially state hospitals that cost so much to run regardless of the critical role they play in training physicians. Baby boom physicians are beginning to retire and this portends a looming crisis. The federal government,being held hostage by Neanderthals, has not really set forth a plan to the American people to address the nearly complete breakdown in medical organization, physician training and health maintenance.

    I could feel some sympathy for the Governor’s position except: he has a close association with Jeffrey Sachs; he allowed Carl McCall to speak for SUNY, and I think McCall is not quite the sharp operator he used to be–and I underscore sharp; and, I think the Governor is keeping the books closed on LICH. To Sachs, it means more market share for his clients in Brooklyn, and money for BHC from Ratner. It’s a win-win for Sachs if LICH closes.

    We are talking ,maybe near a $billion for that land developed and a way out for Downstate to cover up its
    mess. The last thing they all need is the books open on Downstate. The health commissioner will not make the decision; the health commissioner is a Cuomo appointee. Cuomo will make the decision and he does not like hospitals.

    The politicians who have the most to lose in all this are our local representatives. They are being shoved aside like fleas on an elephant’s butt. If it were not for the thieves in the night activity of the State and cronies like Sachs seeking self enrichment, LICH would get a fair and new start. The ugliness of the Downstate move is that it is starving LICH now of resources and putting us all in jeopardy. How ugly is it? By bringing in a has been like Williams to act as flak, they forced us all to take a look too at Downstate and ask if we really need to fund a mess like that any longer?

  • BenF

    Our local elected officials should call for an investigation!

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

    Henry `LOL You are such a blithering idiot. LOL LOL LOL…

  • Knight

    We may have no right to tell them to whom they should sell, but we sure do have a right to tell them not to sell. This is a public hospital and as taxpayers we have a right to demand access to medical services.

  • maribel

    Everywhere we go people want to know what’s going on. The doctors, nurses and staff are in the community every day. Wherever we go doors open and we are welcomed. Everyone is concerned that there has been bad management at LICH. It has become apparent to all concerned that the SUNY Board of Trustees has been aggressive against LICH for no reason other than the financial gains it stands to win. Our community stands to lose a Brooklyn Institution. A full service hospital with an excellent neuroscience center, emergency unit, psychiatric center, intensive care and critical care units, medical/surgical units, dialysis center and more. Our Brooklyn delegates are in support of LICH. Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez again joined the rally this sunday at LICH. Senator Squadron fought to protect any windfall monies coming from the sale of LICH real estate on the senate floor this month. Hundreds marched from Coffey Park in Red Hook. LICH hospital resources have been used like an ATM. the machine is empty. This week Fox 5 reported that SUNY Downstate has not provided financials. The report further states that financials are needed to see exactly how the hosital is performing. Downtown Brooklyn is growing in leaps and bounds. Together we can rebuild LICH, our hospital and make it an innovative Center for Medicine. We need your help: call The Honorable Governor Cuomo at 518-474-8390.

  • maribel

    If you are interested in learning more about the history of The Long Island College Hospital. Please visit our website dedicated to LICH at http://www.lichmedicalstaff.org

  • henry

    if dr sorra has suitors interested in LICH, he should refer them directly to the Department of Health Commissioner. Downstate doesn’t want to work any deal – they want the windfall in real estate sale & will do whatever thewy have to to make any suitors go away.

  • jeanie

    thats what the redhook star newspaper just reported in their article Is LICH Bring Sabotaged

  • henry

    Funny thing is this is all coming out just as the governor is promoting his Public Trust Act to reign in corruption among public officials. Imagine that.

  • Remsen Street Dweller

    Meanwhile, supporter of LICH — let’s keep on keeping on!

  • Wiley E.

    4 of the past 5 Governors of the State of Illinois went to Federal Prison for corruption. The Feds need to look to Albany. Cuomo and friends are smelling dirty and need a bath.

  • http://twitter.com/Agoraks Sav Bard

    awww…SUNY troll…this is state hospital man..you have all the rights to say “I want state hospital alive in MY area to save MY life”

  • http://twitter.com/Agoraks Sav Bard

    some people can choose some people can not..take away the hospital you take away a choice..we have great doctor who risk their careers to save the hospital how many Cornell doctors are ready to do that ?

  • gbkm

    Anybody notice that NYC mayor Bloomberg has not said one word about the crisis at LICH in the 4 months since it started? An area of 1/4 million people in Brooklyn is threatened with the loss of its only hospital & the mayor says nothing. Last I looked, Brooklyn was still part of NYC. My guess is he was told to stay out of it because Governor Cuomo, Jeffrey Sachs & the Downstate president’s old buddy who is now CEO of Brooklyn Hospital have this whole thing all wrapped up for SUNY & to kill the competition for Sachs client’s (Brooklyn Hospital) benefit. Wish I knew an investigative reporter who would be willing to look into that.

  • Guest

    NYS Comptroller finds fraud and abuse at SUNY Downstate: An audit spurred by anonymous tips revealed fake bids for construction contracts and other procurement problems at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Findings of the audit have been referred to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and… http://www.osc.state.ny.us/pre…

  • gbkm

    NYS Comptroller finds fraud and abuse at SUNY Downstate: An audit spurred by anonymous tips revealed fake bids for construction contracts and other procurement problems at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Findings of the audit have been referred to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and… http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/apr12/041012.htm