Interfaith Hospital Planning Shutdown
Interfaith Hospital Planning Shutdown. The Bedford Stuyvescent Hospital entered bankruptcy court this week to approve its closing and send layoff warning notices to its 1,544 employees. Pending court and state approval, on Aug. 12 the hospital will end inpatient admissions and divert ambulances to other hospitals. Elective surgeries will end Aug. 19, the emergency department will shut Sept. 11, and all patients will be transferred from the hospital by Sept. 12. Outpatient programs will end Oct. 12 and detoxification and rehabilitation programs Nov. 11.
The bankruptcy court hearing for Interfaith is August 15. The hospital services 175,000 people with closest hospital in this predominantly minority community is about two and a half miles away.
The threatened closing of another Brooklyn hospital, Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill, has become an issue in the mayoral campaign. The 506-bed hospital — which it said to be losing $4 million was taken over by Downstate in 2011, inheriting a $170 million debt. The Hospital’s location is very sought after and will likely be purchased by developers. Developers are coveting LICH’s $1 billion in prime brownstone Brooklyn waterfront buildings.
See our original blog story Interfaith Hospital Files Bankruptcy, Dec 7, 2012.