MANHATTAN — Plans to create new medical facilities on the site of the former St. Vincent's Hospital in the Village moved one step closer to reality Thursday after winning approval from a state planning committee.
The New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council approved North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System's proposal to create a facility known as the Lenox Hill Hospital Comprehensive Care Center at the site, Crain's New York Business reported.
The proposed free-standing emergency room and other services, which still require approval by the state health commissioner, would be "a hybrid model of care [that] incorporates the emergency access and ambulatory surgery elements of a community hospital with specialized diagnostic and treatment services," according to a document filed with the state Department of Health.
The proposed facilities — which would use the operating certificate of the Upper East Side's Lenox Hill Hospital — would cost $125 million, according to documents. Rudin Development, LLC has pledged $10 million to the project.
North Shore-LIJ has proposed a 24-hour emergency department, imaging center, ambulatory surgery facility and 24-hour ambulance services. The center would serve an area of more than 385,000 residents and have two inpatient beds.
Project documents estimate that the center would have 175 full-time employees in its first year and 202 in its third year.
However, opponents fighting the plan believe bringing anything less than a full-service hospital to the site would be insufficient to serve the Village.
Some community members at the meeting Thursday shouted "people will die," Crain's reported.
The Coalition for a New Village Hospital lobbied the planning council to deny approval of the proposal.
"The petition before you today faces overwhelming community opposition, violates both New York state law and common sense, poses serious health risks and may indeed be of net detriment to the health of New Yorkers," a memo presented to the council on Thursday read.
The facility expects a net loss of $3.3 million in its first year and income of $1.1 million in its third year.
Construction of the facilities would reduce the size of the O'Toole Building, at 30 Seventh Ave., from about 160,000 square feet to about 140,000 square feet. The interior of the building would have be gutted, according to project documents.
Approval by the health planning council requires construction of the new facility to be completed by Nov. 1, 2015.
