Officials with New York's health department are investigating whether Mount Sinai Beth Israel violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, according to a Feb. 8 Politico report. News of the probe comes as New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System faces scrutiny over its plans to close the Manhattan hospital in July.
According to the report — which is based on several interviews with emergency department staff members and an internal memo from the hospital's president — inspectors with the state health department conducted a surprise visit at Mount Sinai Beth Israel at the end of January, where employees were asked about staffing levels and procedures in the ED. In a memo to staff reviewed by Politico, Elizabeth Sellman, the hospital's president, wrote that the health department conducted two surprise visits related to EMTALA. Patients' responses to the surveyors were "very positive and complimentary," she said in the memo, which was sent to staff Feb. 1, according to the news outlet.
It's unclear what led to the probe on emergency care, though complaints on potential violations typically spur such investigations. A spokesperson with the New York State Department of Health told Politico it does not comment on open investigations. The spokesperson confirmed the same response in an email to Becker's Feb. 8.
In September, Mount Sinai announced plans to close the Beth Israel campus. It aims to close by July, pending state approval. In New York, the health department must approve any hospital closure or service reduction plans prior to services being rolled back. The department has not approved Mount Sinai's plan. In December, it sent a cease and desist letter to the system, ordering it not to close beds and services until its closure is approved.
A Mount Sinai spokesperson told Politico it has not closed new beds or reduced services since receiving the order. Meanwhile, employees at the hospital allege non-emergency surgeries have been rolled back and that fewer ICU beds are regularly in use. On Feb. 7 a group of community members filed a lawsuit against Mount Sinai Health System, alleging it deliberately cut services from the Beth Israel campus to sell its real estate.
"We understand and appreciate the concerns and questions that have been raised and remain committed to continuing our ongoing dialogue throughout this process," a spokesperson for Mount Sinai Health System told Becker's. "Our goal is to ensure that all Mount Sinai Beth Israel patients are cared for and treated in the most appropriate manner possible, whether at another Mount Sinai location or elsewhere."
The spokesperson also pointed to the hospital's immense financial challenges.
"MSBI's (Mount Sinai Beth Israel) 16th Street campus is outdated, and its deteriorating infrastructure continues to decline," the spokesperson said, adding that the facility is operating at roughly 20% capacity and lost about $150 million in 2023. The health system has spent more than $1 billion to date to support the hospital's "huge operating losses," the spokesperson said.
"Failing to address this issue would put the entire health system at risk, which is why we must close the MSBI 16th Street hospital facility."
The spokesperson also pointed to investments Mount Sinai is putting toward urgent care and ambulatory care in the downtown area: "In recent years, Mount Sinai has invested over $600 million downtown to expand access, improve quality, and enhance care, including the recently opened state-of-the-art 115 bed inpatient Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center."
"It is important to us and to everyone that we have clear plans in place as we move through this process, which is why we are continuing to work with [the health department] to ensure a seamless transition for our patients and community."