Long Island College Hospital Will Shut Down

John Mitty Tuesday, March 19, 2013

For weeks now, there has been an ongoing controversy over whether or not Long Island College Hospital should be shut down for budgeting reasons.  While LICH is located in Queens, it serves patients from the surrounding counties as well, including nearby Nassau, and also is staffed by employees who live throughout the region.  Within days, more than 2000 healthcare workers will receive their official layoff notices.

Employees of the hospital and others have protested the shut down, but the vote by state officials to finalize the closure of the hospital was unanimous after no other operator could be found to maintain the costs of running the facility.  The result will not only be the loss of many jobs, but also overflow into other hospitals in Queens and Nassau, since those patients will still have to go somewhere for healthcare.  This in turn could increase wait times at emergency rooms and cause healthcare to suffer in other hospitals and clinics. 

LICH has been losing money at the rate of $1 million a week, which would leave the hospital bankrupt within 45 days if it were forced to remain open.  This would deprive sister hospital SUNY Downstate in East Flatbush of essential funds it needs to remain open.

jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com

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