State University of New York officials have proposed vast changes to SUNY Downstate Medical Center to salvage the financially beleaguered, three-hospital academic medical center in Brooklyn as well as other hospitals in the borough, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Under the proposal, SUNY Downstate would either sell or close its Long Island College Hospital, based in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood, and lay off an unspecified number of employees at its University Hospital of Brooklyn, according to the report. Officials believe there are enough interested suitors for LICH. Previous reports indicated Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., have approached LICH medical staff about taking over the hospital.
In addition, SUNY officials proposed the establishment of a new public agency to oversee several of Brooklyn's hospitals, which the Wall Street Journal said are mired in financial trouble and carry large amounts of debt. Officials said the new system would allow area hospitals to streamline costs and eliminate duplicative services.
The plan, approved by SUNY trustees, now heads to the New York State Department of Health and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
SUNY Downstate's troubles arose in January, when an audit from New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found the medical center would be insolvent by this month. LICH has been a primary factor of SUNY Downstate's financial woes, losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to low occupancy.
Under the proposal, SUNY Downstate would either sell or close its Long Island College Hospital, based in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood, and lay off an unspecified number of employees at its University Hospital of Brooklyn, according to the report. Officials believe there are enough interested suitors for LICH. Previous reports indicated Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., have approached LICH medical staff about taking over the hospital.
In addition, SUNY officials proposed the establishment of a new public agency to oversee several of Brooklyn's hospitals, which the Wall Street Journal said are mired in financial trouble and carry large amounts of debt. Officials said the new system would allow area hospitals to streamline costs and eliminate duplicative services.
The plan, approved by SUNY trustees, now heads to the New York State Department of Health and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
SUNY Downstate's troubles arose in January, when an audit from New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found the medical center would be insolvent by this month. LICH has been a primary factor of SUNY Downstate's financial woes, losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to low occupancy.
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