GRAMERCY — While representatives of Mount Sinai Beth Israel would not confirm or deny rumors that the hospital is slated to close, they promised to open new facilities and keep services in the area.
A spokeswoman for the hospital — located at 16th Street between First and Second avenues, said Beth Israel is planning to develop new facilities and improve existing care — despite reports that the hospital is on the verge of closing or significantly downsizing.
"Given the importance of Mount Sinai Beth Israel to the community, we understand why there are a lot of rumors and misinformation circulating,” Renatt Brodsky said.
“We are working on a plan which will enhance existing services and develop new facilities in the Beth Israel community. Until then, we will not have any further comment. In the meantime, there will be no disruption in any of our patient care services.”
Brodsky did not elaborate on what new facilities the hospital is planning, nor did she comment on reports that the hospital might downsize.
Reports of Beth Israel’s possible closure were first reported in The Villager newspaper, which quoted three anonymous nurses saying the announcement would be imminent.
According to a report in Crain’s, which cited internal communications released by the New York State Nurse’s Association, Beth Israel is set to make an announcement about the possible downsizing in the next several weeks. A representative of NYSNA did not respond to a request for comment.
The hospital has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years, according to Crain's.
The 856-bed teaching hospital, which was founded in 1889, became a part of the Mount Sinai medical system in 2013.
If the hospital were to close it would come as a blow to healthcare in lower Manhattan — which has seen a shrinking number of providers in recent years, most notably with the closure of Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in 2010.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who used “hospitals not condos” as a campaign slogan in 2013, pledged the mayor’s support for patients and workers.
"The Mayor is committed to ensuring communities have the health care facilities they need and preventing the sudden closure of hospitals,” said spokeswoman Karen Hinton.
“The health care industry is changing rapidly and we must be prepared to protect patients and healthcare workers alike."
A representative of 1199 SEIU, the union representing Beth Israel nurses, said the union is watching the issue closely but declined to comment further.
"1199 SEIU is continuing to monitor the situation with Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and will do everything in our power to advocate for healthcare services and jobs for the community," the spokesman said. "As acute care hospitals continue to face increasing challenges, we must ensure that every New Yorker has local access to quality healthcare.”
