Coalition for a New Village Hospital Calls on DOH to Deny LIJ Plan
The Coalition for a New Village Hospital released a 5 page memorandum yesterday with over 100 pages of exhibits establishing that the LIJ plan for a "stand alone emergency room" is not only overwhelmingly opposed by the community, but could also be dangerous to the health and welfare of lower Manhattan. It also submitted alternative proposals for the facility that would allow for a 200 to 300 bed hospital with little additional cost to the Rudin Family, the real estate family set to use the 11 building campus for a massive luxury condominium development plan.
Yetta Kurland, an attorney for the Coalition stated "this plan violates NYS Public Health Law, and is overwhelmingly opposed by the community. More importantly, there is a better, more viable plan available."
The Coalition has proposed putting 2 to 4 additional floors on the O'Toole building to bring back a 200 to 300 bed hospital as the first step in restoring the services lost upon the close of St. Vincent's hospital.
Dr. David Kaufman, a member of the Steering Committee for the Coalition for a New Village Hospital and a long time physician at St. Vincent's called LIJ's plan dangerous. "Calling this facility an emergency room could mislead the public, causing patients in need of emergency care to waster precious time seeking emergency services this facility simply doesn't provide."
The full memorandum is available at http://www.yettakurland.com/svh/111531.pdf