The New York Department of Health has given New York City-based Mount Sinai conditional approval to close Beth Israel after months of reviewing the health system's closure plan.
"The conditional approval of the closure plan submitted by Mount Sinai-Beth Israel Hospital is based on careful and extensive review of the plan and delineates several conditions to help ensure that patients receive quality care at nearby hospitals and other primary care providers," a spokesperson for the state health department said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's.
The health system recently pushed back the July 12 planned closure of the hospital because of the state health department's ongoing review of a revised closure plan submitted by Mount Sinai.
"We are grateful for the DOH's careful and comprehensive review of our proposed closure plan," Loren Riegelhaupt, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai, said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's.
Below are some of the state's requirements for Mount Sinai to close Beth Israel:
1. Secure formalized agreements with other area hospitals to ensure patients needing transfer to an inpatient setting are accommodated. The health system must also appropriately staff the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center to "ensure sufficient access for patients seeking psychiatric care at other hospitals," according to information shared with Becker's from the state health department.
2. Formalize an agreement with NYC Health + Hospitals that invests in an expansion of Bellevue Hospital's emergency department and comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs capacity to handle patients no longer receiving care at Beth Israel.
3. Open a 24/7 Mount Sinai urgent care clinic "for at least the first three months" to ensure sufficient patient capacity. A monthly operations report must be submitted to the state's department of health during the opening of the clinic. A quarterly report will be required afterwards.
4. Ensure that patients have knowledge of other ways to receive area care, including outpatient and urgent care centers, virtual care and the Mount Sinai Hospital-At-Home program.
5. Work with the New York City Fire Department to ensure EMS services are available in the area where Beth Israel will close.
Per the requirements, the health system plans to open an expanded, 24/7 urgent care center two blocks away from where Beth Israel is located once the hospital closes. The center will support the New York City Fire Department by operating an additional ambulance in the city's downtown area. It will also work with and support other city hospitals, like NYC Health + Hospitals and Bellevue.
Beth Israel will remain open and accepting patients for now and plans to share more information as they work with the state health department, Mr. Riegelhaupt said.
Mount Sinai has also asked the state court for an expedited review of the lawsuit filed against the health system by the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary to keep the New York City-based hospital from closing.
"The approval issued by the Department of Health is not unexpected," Arthur Schwartz, lead counsel for the coalition, said in a July 25 statement shared with Becker's. "The DOH has been laggard in defending the interests of the community ever since Mount Sinai began the process of shutting down Beth Israel back in 2017…"
Mr. Schwartz also pointed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for the loss of vital services should the hospital close.
"We are still in court and we still have a Temporary Restraining Order in place," he said. "We intend to keep on fighting."