While we felt relief at Thursday’s announcement of SUNY’s decision to select Brooklyn Health Partners, which proposes to operate a full service hospital at Long Island College Hospital, as the preferred applicant to acquire LICH, we can’t be sure that all will turn out well. As BHB reader Rick said in his comment to the previous post:
I’m happy, but still a little feeling a bit cautious. SUNY could sabotage the negotiations with Brooklyn Health Partners. And the odd fact that the #2 and #3 choices [which do not provide for a full service hospital] scored as they did makes me think the negotiations need to be watched very closely.
Then there is this Crain’s New York Business story that describes the regulatory hurdles Brooklyn Health Partners must clear to operate a hospital at LICH. Most disturbingly, the Crain’s piece points out that, to receive expedited approval, which will be necessary given the short time before a deal with SUNY must be finalized, Brooklyn Health Partners must secure the cooperation of Governor Andrew Cuomo. It may even need action by the New York Legislature.
Could it be that SUNY is playing a cynical long game here?
