North General Hospital in Harlem is set to close its doors this week.

The hospital filed for bankruptcy today so that it can become an outpatient health center, in a deal brokered by Governor David Paterson.

Emergency services will no longer exist and will be diverted to nearby hospitals – including Mount Sinai, Columbia-Presbyterian, St. Luke’s, Metropolitan Hospital and Harlem Hospital.

During the dissolution of the hospital, some urgent care services will be offered through the Institute for Family Health.

“While it saddens us all to face closing the doors of a hospital that’s been an integral part of our neighborhood for 30 years, we see this as an opportunity to not only continue to use the North General facility to maintain the health of the people of this community,” said North General Board Chairman Rev. Calvin Butts.

Despite the fact that North General has been in grave financial trouble for the past few months, many hospital workers and patients said they were shocked by the news of the closure.

The hospital will officially close its doors on Friday. The health center is set to begin operating the first week of July.

The public hospital system will also run a nursing home out of facility.

(Source: NY1)