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Following Wednesday’s civil disobedience, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio held a press conference calling on SUNY to release the full details of all seven responses to develop Long Island College Hospital—only six of which would ensure maintaining health care services on the site without selling off valuable assets to real estate developers.

SUNY documents clearly show significant interest by health care providers in keeping Long Island College Hospital open and in helping the facility become more viable. Those expressions of interest propose bringing a base for a home-care provider onto the site, converting L.I.C.H. into a long-term care focused hospital, joining L.I.C.H. to a high-quality hospital operator, and transforming the facility into an ambulatory care center.

But one proposal, identified as a “real estate investor and developer” has called for the sale of valuable L.I.C.H. land, and redeveloping the site for residential apartments in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

“These are the interests that could save or destroy this hospital, and SUNY is keeping them under wraps as it edges L.I.C.H. nearer to closure. It’s becoming clearer every day that SUNY would prefer to sell this site to the highest bidder, regardless of its impact on community health care. That’s the wrong bottom line,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. “If there is a provider willing to keep this hospital’s doors open, they deserve a full hearing. This community deserves nothing less.”

De Blasio warned that by diverting patients and resources from L.I.C.H., SUNY was all-but-assuring the hospital will be forced to close, taking viable health care alternatives off the table for good.

(YWN Desk – NYC)