Ex-Council Candidate Sues To Keep St. Vincent's Open

Yetta Kurland, a civil rights lawyer who ran an unsuccessful challenge for Council Speaker Quinn's seat last year, has filed a lawsuit to keep St. Vincent's Hospital open. According to NY1, Kurland "says closing the hospital violates New York State health laws" and that "the state Health Department has not yet approved St. Vincent's closure plan." She also wants a look at St. Vincent's financials, "The issue should be framed as to why St Vincent's is so rapidly doing this without any kind of public comment, and without any kind of disclosure, or transparency." However, the state says it's given St. Vincent's approval on its wind-down plans. On Monday, St. Vincent's laid off 1,000 workers and the psychiatry service in the ER was "placed on permanent diversion" yesterday.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 21, 2010 1:23 PM

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youngpro

this guy/lady is right. you cannot close a hospital in new york without permission from the state health department.

since the e.r. of a hospital is run as a 'separate' facility, it may actually need to remain open even if the rest of the hospital is closed as this would be a potential violation of federal law (EMTALA- look it up), as it receives funding from the fed.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Where the hell is Christine Quinn? She speaks on both sides of her mouth. she has done NOTHING to help save this hospital. All she did was attend the rally and pretend to be outrage and yet did not demand the hospital reveal it books on where all the money went. Quinn can't make such a request since she is hiding her own slush fund. She refuses to disclose the groups she bankrolled with her slush funds.

Reported today:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/04/20/2010-04-20_christine_meet_bill.html