BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — The public advocate's office on Tuesday filed a motion in federal bankruptcy court to halt the closure of Interfaith Medical Center, charging that the hospital's closure plan was approved too quickly without proper oversight.
Public advocate and mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio, who last week released a report detailing a possible decrease in psychiatric care if Interfaith closes, said that the bankruptcy court disregarded a required 90-day review period.
The motion comes just days after a state Spreme Court judge granted another troubled Brooklyn hospital, Long Island College Hospital, a stay of execution, ordering SUNY Downstate to restore full services, according to reports.
"The stakes for this community couldn’t be higher," read a statement from de Blasio. "We’ve shown with Long Island College Hospital that the courts are willing to step in when community healthcare is put at risk by a heedless rush to closure."
An Interfaith spokeswoman declined to comment.
Plans to close the hospital began in July, when hospital administrators asked a bankruptcy court for permission to close. That closure hearing was pushed back by 11 days, giving supporters of the beleagured hospital additional time to take additional measures.
But now Interfaith could begin closure as early as Monday if the motion is not granted.
Today, we’re beginning a legal battle to keep healthcare in central Brooklyn, and we won’t stop until we succeed,” de Blasio's statement read.
