NEW YORK CITY — Some hospitals in the city's low-lying areas were evacuated ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, but all of the emergency rooms in the public hospital system remained open as the monster storm bore down on the area.
The closures left low-lying areas of Lower Manhattan, the part of the borough set to bear the greatest damage from flooding, with few options after New York Downtown Hospital and the Manhattan VA Hospital were fully evacuated overnight, Mayor Bloomberg said Monday.
New York Downtown Hospital, at 170 William St., was shuttered because the the facility did not have the infrastructure to remain open, officials said.
Patients, some of whom were sent home and some of whom were sent to other hospitals, can call the main hospital number to locate a relative or loved one.
"We were being very proactive about doing the correct thing for our patients," said Tom Hoskins, supervisor for IT communications.
The emergency room will remain open, but only for walk-in patients, a source said. Ambulances will be diverted.
NYU Langone Medical Center also closed its emergency room at First Avenue and East 30th Street until further notice and canceled all non-emergency surgeries and procedures.
But Bellevue Hospital, on First Avenue and East 26th Street, which is part of the city system, remained open as of Monday afternoon, as did Beth Israel Medical Center on First Avenue and East 17th Street.
For a full list of city hospitals near you, click here. The system's emergency rooms, urgent care centers and dialysis rooms were expected to remain open throughout the storm, according to a statement.
New York-Presbyterian canceled all elective surgeries and procedures through Tuesday Oct. 30 and advises that patients confirm appointments with their doctors' offices.
But the system expects that its emergency rooms and dialysis centers will stay open throughout the storm, according to a statement on its website.
A message on the VA Hospital's website said that all clinics in the system will be closed Monday and Tuesday as well. Those with questions about loved ones can call 212-686-7500 and dial 0, according to the VA's Facebook page.
