[NOTE: The following statement, was written by BPW]
(Click on images to ENLARGE) Brooklyn, NY: Maimonides Medical Center (MMC) has begun tearing-down the landmark Jeffers Funeral Home building on 47th Street corner Fort Hamilton Parkway, despite a pledge at a recent public meeting to halt all new construction in Boro-Park West (BPW).
The May 2 meeting with MMC President Pamela Brier/Ashkenazi [reported HERE on YWN] brought together Satmar Dayan Rav Moshe Friedman, Rav Meir Simcha Bick, local politicians and BPW community leaders, who explained that the aggressive expansion of MMC in Boro-Park West was destroying the neighborhood.
In response, Brier pledged a moratorium: “We will not be doing any further construction at this time, because we do not have the necessary funding.”
Referring specifically to the Jeffers Funeral home, Brier said: “We have no plans for that location yet. We are still not sure what we want to do there.”
Maimonides paid $1.7 million dollars for the Jeffers building, outbidding local Orthodox community developers who could not match such an exorbitant price. MMC also spent $2.4 million dollars for a small four-story apartment building—on 46th Street corner Tenth Avenue—a building that had sold for only $1.4 million just eight months before.
MMC currently owns ten apartment buildings, with over 400 tenants, in the Boro-Park West (BPW) neighborhood. They also own approximately 30 two-family homes that are being used as offices.
Previously, they demolished approximately 30 two and three-family homes to build their garage.
“Maimonides has betrayed the community,” said Rabbi William Handler of BPW. “President Brier promised that she would halt all construction until our next meeting in mid-June. She said she would give us a complete list of all the buildings owned by MMC and work with us to avoid hurting the people in BPW.
“This unilateral action by MMC is unconscionable. It demonstrates a lack of sincerity and a contemptuous attitude towards the Orthodox Jewish community in Boro-Park.”
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
16 Responses
I don’t understand.
Whom is MMC serving that they need so much space and so many facilities.
In general, most medical institutions are scaling back their spending since insurances are becoming more strict and tighter with what they pay for and reimburse. MMC seems to have tremendous cash reserves.
That’s because they are also landlords as the article detailed and have a good cash flow.
I wish that Kimball in Lakewood would be as aggressive in updating and expanding their facilities and abilities to service acheinu bnai yisroel.
shelach refuah shelaimah lecholeh amecha
May we only need the hospital for good reasons.
Maimonides is NOT a good hospital. They are too busy taking care of their real estate and investments to pay much attention to quality medical care–ABee Yotzai Tzu Zain!
The Alter klauzenberger Rebbe used to tell his Chassidim: “In most hospitals, the MaLach HaMoVes is a guest; In Maimonides he’s a permanent resident!
They are serving all of us. Have you ever seen the overflowing emergency room with patients unable to get a bed? We have large growing families, kain ayin hara, and they need services.
If they bought the property they can, and should use it. Better a hospital than a funeral home. We benefit.
Dear CharVona (no. 3):
You mean well, but you don’t understand. An overflowing emergency room does not mean that Maimonides needs more real estate.
It means that the present Maimonides administration is incompetent–they don’t know how to properly manage a large hospital.
If you go to the emergency room at 49th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, you will notice a queer thing: It’s only 2 stories high. The other adjoining Maimonides buildings are 7 stories or 9 stories high.
They are now playing catch-up by building more capacity in the brand new building on 48th and Fort Hamilton Parkway.
The Jeffers Funeral Home site is a block away from the Hospital. According to the Hospital itself, the purchase of this building has nothing to do with Emergency services.
As the above article states, Maimonides claims they don’t even have a specific plan for what they want to do there right now–It’s a pure real estate play!
MMc is an excellent hospital. Recently my father was there. he received excellent teatment. The local developers are upset because they can’t get their greedy hands on these properties.
BTW why is the Jeffers building a landmark?
TRhe bootom lin eis MMC must and SHOULD exp[and ASAP. They need the room. Haver you ever been to the overcrowded emergency room?
Did anyone think that perhaps the construction began before the meeting took place and now it is being published. How quick are we to judger an organization that is there to serve and help to community. WE ar always very quick to riddicul and judge them but wont give them a chance to explain.
wouldnt this be calisified as lashon harah or matzie shem rah?
someone should verify if the construction was not even palnned before the meeting before attacking them.
To all you BPW kvetchers: You complain and complain, yet two weeks ago, I posted here that I have put up a house for sale on 48th St- yes its the hospital block. Guess what??? Not ONE phone call from any BPW people. I would gladly sell it to the hospital, just waiting to hear back from them. You can always branch out, just like everyone did in flatbush. First it was the 20s, then the 30s, and now Marine Park is BH bustling with frum familes. YOU DON’T ALL HAVE TO SQUEEZE INTO 4 square blocks. Is the parking any better down at 13th, 14th, 15th Avenues? I grew up in Boro Park and witnessed how every huge one or two family house was torn down and 9-12 families put in the same space. Some people have nothing to do but complain. G-d forbid you should ever need the hospital, but then you won’t complain.
G-D Bless them all & we dont own this country & if you have a problem move to Israel & you will find out what rights you have.
Or you have the choice buy those buildings as this is a capatalistic society its called democracy & if you cant to bad.
However what PBW wants is called Communism & we dont beleive in communism its has long been dead & hopefully its dead for ever.
Dear Straitshooter (5):
Although Maimonides has some excellent medical staff people, it is a poorly managed hospital.
Nobody is controlling the nurses, and they are allowed to be loud and boisterous at night, annoying the patients and keeping them awake–no RachMonUs!
That is just one example of the HefKerus there.
The HefKerUs extends to the Heart Center, the Emergency Room, the Maternity Center, the real estate managers, the Engineering dept.–nobody is minding the store, because nobody really cares all that much.
Contrast that situation with any good hospital–Lutheran, Cornell, NYU, Columbia/Presbyterian, Notrhshore/LIJ–and you will quickly see the difference.
Just recently, Rabbi Yaakov Kalish, a prominent Talmid Chochom who lives in Boro Park, was crippled by a misdiagnosis at Maimonides. He’s just getting back on his feet now.
His brother-in-law, Mr. Schondorfer, is a Trustee of Maimonides, and he used his clout to get him an appointment with the Chief of Vascular Dept., Dr. Shani.
Dr. Shani confirmed that the doctor who treated Rabbi Kalish messed him up with too much blood thinner, and he told him he would now need an operation to correct the mess.
The doctors and nurses at Maimonides need competent and caring leadership, which they don’t have now.
Ess Iz A Shiff Aun a ReeDer!
Dear Shomoyk (no.6):
The meeting with Maimonides took place on Friday, may 2. The scaffolding and construction began the FOLLOWING WEEK!
to Deepthinker with a brain of your capacity you should be running for Public office & what a waste of precious time to just plain write comments on YWN & or better yet maybe you should be the mediator between the two sides, as i am sure you would accomplish great results & make everybody very happy. & you will be the hero of the community & maybe they will elect you to be the district leader. I am sure you must be sitting in Kollel & have lots of free time so why not do something with it .
dear “Tov Lev Mishteh Tamid” (no. 11):
I’m flattered by your offer, but my kollel won’t let me run for office just now. maybe next year.
By the way
# 12 what a shame for such great potential to sit in Kollel to rot away with nonsense, I have a great offer for you that you cant refuse & i am sure you, your wife, & in laws would all be very happy, but you have to be ready to work & not drink coffee or warm the bench all day long,
You are going to make money, hand over fist & the word Kollel will be a distant Memory or a bad dream just get in touch with me at Yahoo. & will take you out for diner in the best restaurent in the city like Prime Grill & you will start playing in the Major League. stop with the minor nonsense, enough already.
Dear Lev Tov (no. 13):
I don’t eat one-inch steaks–it’s unhealthy!
“Torah iz De Beste SeChorah!”
I’m offended–and I’m sure all the Bnei Torah who read your comments are offended–by you snide and arrogant comments denigrating the Yungeleit who study Torah, day and night, and who keep our Jewish nation alive and vibrant.
If you’re such a rich guy, know your place. You’re not superior to those who learn. Your job is to provide the money to keep our Torah and Chesed institutions going, and to participate in the Heavenly rewards that result from such laudable activities.–You’re a Zevulun, and don’t you ever forget it!
Every local organization in Boro Park when it needs to hold a function comes to Maimonides to get money for sponsoring the event.
The problem here is that the community thinks it owns the hospital. People walk in and act as if they’re in their own home and are critical of everything and demanding. Try doing some of these things at Mt. Sinai or Columbia. When they get to those hospitals they keep their mouths stapled.
to chaim dov (no. 15):
Very good point. Everyone is on the take, and everyone looks the other way when Maimonides fails to do the job of providing quality healthcare and acting like a good neighbor.
“HashoChad YeaVer EiNei ChaChomim”