Could LICH Settlement Transform Health Care Across Brooklyn?

A settlement has been reached in the Long Island College Hospital court case, both parties announced yesterday afternoon, but the details of the settlement will not be available until this afternoon.

The battle over the future of the hospital is a familiar one in Brooklyn these days, as the rising value of land here prompts libraries, churches and, most recently, Junior’s Cheesecake to sell all or a portion of their properties to developers to make over into bigger, denser buildings of luxury residences.

So far, what is known of the LICH settlement is that SUNY (LICH’s owner) must solicit new proposals for the property. SUNY will be required to give more weight to proposals that would keep LICH a full-service hospital. SUNY will be allowed to withdraw from running the hospital in May. Bidders must meet a minimum price in line with the value of the property, estimated to be around $228,000,000 or $278,000,000, said The New York Times.

In recent days, community groups proposed a community-based co-op health care system throughout the borough. Hospital boards of directors, including at struggling Interfaith in Bed Stuy, would be replaced by new boards made up of local residents, patients and employees, DNAinfo reported. LICH advocates are also calling for a study of the health care needs of the LICH service area, The Brooklyn Eagle said.

SUNY has been accused of contempt of court for ignoring a judge’s orders to remain open and operating at the same level of service as it offered in July. Developers who put in bids are now saying the process is unfair, said the Eagle. LICH supporters and plaintiffs include the Brooklyn Heights Association, Boerum Hill Association, Cobble Hill Association, Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, Wykoff Gardens Association, Riverside Tenants Association, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), Concerned Physicians of LICH and 1199 SEIU.

Mayor de Blasio and Public Advocate Letitia James will announce the details of the settlement this afternoon at City Hall.