New York City-based Mount Sinai has submitted a revised July 12 closure plan for Beth Israel Hospital to the New York Department of Health after hitting several road bumps since it submitted the initial plan to close in October.
The revised plan comes after the health department informed Mount Sinai that its plan submitted in October was incomplete and asked for a new, comprehensive plan to be submitted.
"They asked us to provide additional information about the hospital's finance, our engagement with local leaders, our engagement with other partner hospitals, and some details about patient volume and clinical services," Brendan Carr, MD, CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, said in a May 23 email shared with employees and obtained by Becker's. "Today, we submitted a very detailed revision of our closure plan to DOH that we believe provides specific answers to their questions."
Beth Israel currently only has $29 million remaining in cash reserves due to significant losses. A "going concern" opinion will also be issued by the hospital's independent auditor to indicate the "substantial doubt" of Beth Israel's ability to remain operational over the next 12 months, the closure plan stated.
The plan includes the opening of an urgent care center with extended hours and services once the hospital closes. The health system will help New York City-based Bellevue Hospital renovate its emergency department, develop and maintain more care services, and acquire an additional CT scanner to help offset any impact from Beth Israel's closure.
In his letter to employees, Dr. Carr also addressed a lawsuit that was filed against both the health department and Mount Sinai to keep the hospital open.
"...a few weeks ago we filed a Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit, as we do not believe the court has the right to keep the hospital open against its will," Dr. Carr said. "We will continue to argue our case because we strongly believe we have done things the correct way and that the DOH, not the court system, is the regulatory authority for hospitals. In the meantime, we are complying with the court orders."
The health department has received Mount Sinai's revised closure plan but can not provide further comment until its review is complete, a spokesperson for the health department said in a statement shared with Becker's.