We learned last month that Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan's East Village was planning to shut down. Thursday night community members got to hear from hospital officials about their plan for a smaller facility a few blocks away. NY1's Lori Chung has the story.
Hospital representatives tried to reassure lower Manhattan residents about Mount Sinai Beth Israel's restructuring plan at a community board meeting Thursday night.
"Beth Israel is not closing," neighbors were told.
But it's a message that's difficult to get across.
"I'm concerned about what it's going to be like if it's going to be that we're losing the facility," said one man.
Administrators discussed some details of their plan at a community board meeting Thursday night. Saying while the current 825-bed hospital would indeed shut down — it would be replaced by a new, smaller facility nearby.
Still, many question what they see as a drastic reduction in service.
"Now they say no we're not going to be closed, but the admissions part of it, the in-house beds are going to be closed, reduced from 825 to 70," said one woman.
"I see the poor, the needy and the elderly is going to be the ones who have to travel up to Roosevelt, to all these different hospitals and the ones that's paying market rent down here they are going to be the ones that have the luxury to lay up in the new hospital with only 70 beds," said another.
Hospital officials say Beth Israel is underutilized, losing money and must downsize to match current healthcare needs.
And while they say some questions don't yet have answers, a spokesman did offer this statement: "We will remain deeply committed to being as transparent as possible and addressing any community questions or concerns," said Loren Reigelhaupt. "At this meeting it's clear there are many."
"We had Saint Vincent's that closed, we have lots of hospitals in Brooklyn that closed, I think we want a better understanding of what the vision is, what the reasons are," said Community Board 3 Chair Gigi Li.
Hospital officials say some services will change as they transition to that smaller facility in the next four years, but they say emergency services will remain the same for the area.