St. Vincent's Certificate of Operations

Here is St. Vincent's Certificate of Operations issued by the New York State Dept. of Health.

Effective date: May 22, 2009
Expiration Date: NONE

Why do we need to reassess a need that was determined 18 months ago?

Certificate of Operation

A Community Unites...

From "A Community Unites", a great photo essay about the 100 Days rally by Sarah Bures at The New School Free Press. See the full essay here.

Planning Meeting Tomorrow!

COALITION FOR A NEW VILLAGE HOSPITAL

Invites you to attend a Planning Meeting Tomorrow:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH AT 6:00 PM

OUR LADY OF POMPEII CHURCH (downstairs auditorium)

Corner of Bleecker and Carmine Streets

We will be discussing next steps after last month’s rally, report on the legal fight, and the needs assessment currently being done. Come join, ask questions and get involved!

Tomorrow's Needs Assessment Meeting Moved to Undisclosed Location

We are disappointed to say that the Needs Assessment meeting that was scheduled for tomorrow at 1pm at Congressmember Nadler’s office has been relocated and we have not been given the new address. We have also been told that this is a private meeting.

The Coalition for a New Village Hospital has made clear that our position has been and continues to be that a needs assessment undercuts the rights we currently have under the law to a continuation of services which stems from the open Certificate of Operations that is still in effect at the site of St. Vincent’s.

Having said that however, given the fact that those in charge have decided to initiate a needs assessment rather than pursue more direct efforts to get services restored at the site of St. Vincent’s, it becomes vital that the community be central in how this happens and why this happens.

We must ensure that this needs assessment is not another back room deal where the real estate interests or other private interests determine the landscape of public health care, rather than public need determining public health care.

Public input must not be an afterthought at the end of the process but the driving force in this process.

The Coalition had invited community members to attend the Needs Assessment Meeting being convened for the purpose of deciding how health care happens in lower Manhattan because we do not want this committee to turn into what happened with the Governor’s Task Force in which a small group of elected officials met without public input and the true information still missing about the financial reality and the problems with St. Vincent’s were not addressed in time.

While we will be unable to attend tomorrow’s meeting we have asked for a clear statement from this group about their process, and when the public will be allowed to participate and in what ways. We will also continue to attempt to engage this group and our elected and public officials in efforts to ensure the Coalition and the community is properly represented in the decisions regarding health care.

St. Vincent's Hospital Rally - Yetta Kurland's Speech - 17 Oct 2010 - NYC

Well over 1,000 turn up to support a New Village Hospital

Rally TODAY: 100 Days Without a Hospital

Come one, come all!

Join the Coalition for a New Village Hospital tomorrow for

100 Days Without a Hospital Rally,
TODAY, Sunday October 17th
2 PM
West 12th St. and 7th Avenue

If there remained any doubt as to the need for a New Village Hospital, Ruth Ford and Adrienne Day's must read article in City Lights dispelled it.

Can't make it today? Here's what you can do:

RALLY_10_17_10_v3_Flyer

100 Days Without a Hospital

VIDEO: St Vincent's Hospital - Oct. 17 rally - A matter of village preservation

RSVP at our Facebook event!

Oct. 17 rally for a new hospital - St. Vincent's Hospital - Call to Action

Please join us on October 17th at the 100 Days without a Hospital Rally in front of the old St. Vincent's site.

Bleow is a video produced by Coalition for a New Village Hospital member Louis Flores.

Coalition Legal Team Argues Case

The CNVH legal team made oral arguments on Friday on our appeal of the US Bankruptcy Court decision in May. This decision denied us the right even to have our case heard. Our appeal on Friday would allow us to press our suit to compel the New York State Department of Health to continue the services provided at St. Vincent's.

It was a great opportunity to make our case for why adequate health care is a fundamental right for all New Yorkers and public health institutions cannot just collapse in a matter of days without consequence.

Below is a picture of our legal team. All of them having been working tirelessly - without a penny of pay - for months.

Please thank them for their incredible work and effort, by joining us at the '100 Days Without A Hospital' Rally on Sunday October 17th at 2pm. Below is a link to a flyer to pass around. We have already confirmed a number of organizations and celebrity Michelle Clunie from Showtime's Queer as Folk. Please let us know too if your organization would like to join.

RALLY: 100 DAYS WITHOUT A HOSPITAL

100days_11x17spnsrs4cOP


Please print out the above flyer and let your neighbors know about this important rally. You can download an 11" X 17" poster here.

Another Attorney General Candidate Backs Hospital

Another candidate for New York State Attorney General came out in strong support of a hospital for the lower West Side today.

State Senator Eric Schneiderman (D - Manhattan, Bronx) issued the following statement:

"The closure of St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center was a tragic blow for Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the entire West Side of Manhattan. Unless a 24-hour acute care hospital with an emergency room opens in this neighborhood, entire communities of New Yorkers will go without the adequate health services they deserve.

"Moreover, recent allegations about the financial management of St. Vincent's Hospital, while it was still in operation, have raised serious and troubling questions that demand answers.

"The bottom line is: the west side of Manhattan both deserves and needs an acute care hospital with an emergency room. Anything and everything should be done to make certain that becomes a reality."

The Coalition for a New Village Hospital welcomes Mr. Schneiderman's bold support for our community's health.

Attorney General Candidate Backs Hospital, Coalition

Coalition for a New Village Hospital’s outreach scored a big win today as Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, a Democratic candidate for NY Attorney General, issued a bold statement of support.

We’ve reached out to all the candidates for Attorney General and Governor, and are expecting to hear from more in the next few days.

Former St. Vincent’s Hospital Employees and Lower West Side Community Welcomes Statement of Public Support From Attorney General Candidate Kathleen Rice

New York, NY – August 19th, 2010 6 pm-– Yetta Kurland of Kurland, Bonica & Associates, P.C. a member of The Coalition For A New Village Hospital, the community organization that filed suit against the NYS Department of Health on Monday August 16^th, responded to a clear statement of support today from Attorney General Candidate Kathleen Rice.

In a statement issued today, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, Democratic candidate for Attorney General, announced, “As the next Attorney General, I will work with community advocates and Department of Health to help facilitate the return of a hospital to serve the people of the Lower West Side."

In making the statement, Rice became one of the first State officials to support the Coalition’s goals.

Said Kurland, “We welcome this powerful support from District Attorney Rice and her commitment to returning a vitally needed hospital and Level One Trauma Center to the Lower West Side Community. This closure has left hundreds of thousands without vital medical care and has thrown our community into a health crisis. We look forward to working closely with Nassau’s District Attorney Kathleen Rice in realizing our goal, and look forward to the support emerging from leaders throughout the State.”

On August 16th, the attorneys petitioned Manhattan Supreme Court to obtain information concerning the closure plan of St. Vincent’s Hospital. "It is our hope that the information we are able to secure in this action will help in realizing the return of a hospital to the community,” said Kurland. The Article 78 proceeding will be heard on September 8, 2010 in NYS Supreme Court by Judge O. Peter Sherwood.

"This community needs a hospital and deserves the truth. Today’s announcement of support from Kathleen Rice opens the door to a new, positive conversation, and we look forward to sitting down with local leaders to hear their views” said Eileen Dunn, RN, and a founding member of the Coalition.

###

Judge Sets Hearing and Orders Dept. of Health to Show Cause!

In a preliminary success for the Coalition for a New Village Hospital's Article 78 Lawsuit, Hon. O. Peter Sherwood of New York Supreme Court signed an order to show cause today, and set a hearing date for September 8th at which the NYS Dept. of Health must defend it's decision to keep public records secret.

Coalition Files Suit to Demand Release of Documents

The Coalition for a New Village Hospital filed suit in New York County Supreme Court today to demand release of documents kept secret by the New York State Dept. of Health. The suit, filed by attorneys Yetta Kurland and Thomas Shanahan on behalf of the Coalition, seeks to compel the Dept. of Health to release the hospital closure plans, transfer plans and all related documents.

While the documents are public records, the Dept. has steadfastly refused to release them despite a Freedom of Information Law request and numerous other inquiries. Today's Article 78 proceeding asks the court to order their release. Included in these documents will be details of any plans to transfer the St. Vincent's site to other hospital providers - and importantly why these attempts were quashed by Health Commissioner Richard Daines.

Here's civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland discussing the suit this morning.

Included in the complaint are IRS documents showing alleged mismanagement, high executive salaries and rampant waste by St. Vincent's management prior to the closure. Executive salaries remained sky-high as doctors, nurses and patients were asked to sacrifice.

Here are the documents filed today:

Coalition for a New Village Hospital: Article 78 Action Part 1

Coalition for a New Village Hospital: Article 78 Action Part 2

The coalition also held a press conference in conjunction with today's filing, which was reported on by The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, New York 1 (with Video), and others. In addition to Kurland and Shanahan, Coalition members Eileen Dunn RN, District Leaders Paul Newell and Jean Grillo, activist Miguel Acevedo and Noah Pfefferblit of Community Board 1 spoke in favor of the law suit.

NY Post Reports on Gross Mismanagement at St. Vincent's

The New York Post's Brad Hamilton broke a big story last night about executive mismanagement at St. Vincent's in the run-up to its closure.

Here's a taste:

'Doctored' books

Brass looted St. Vincent's for millions: foes

St. Vincent's Hospital was looted by execs and consultants in the two years before it closed, then grossly exaggerated its debt, according to blockbuster papers set to be filed tomorrow in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The filing, a petition that seeks to force the state Health Department to turn over documents on the closing, says the defunct medical center blew through millions in "highly questionable" expenses, including $278,000 for a golf outing, while paying its top 10 executives a combined $10 million a year.

It also shelled out $17 million for "management consultants," $3.8 million on "professional fund-raising" and a staggering $104 million on unspecified costs it listed simply as "other" on its federal tax returns, the petition says.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/doctored_books_Vz0s07aQjbaZW2pix1N85M#ixzz0wpLKQFOU

Community Board 1 Joins the Fight!

Manhattan's Community Board 1 joined their neighbor CB2 and The Coalition for a New Village Hospital in calling for a "land lock" on the old St. Vincent's site. Board Chair Julie Menin commended the Coalition's work to a packed meeting. Coalition members Yetta Kurland, Paul Newell and Jonathan Slaff all spoke to the Board.

As more and more community groups sign on to CNVH's mission, the tide on this issue is beginning to turn. CB1 passed the resolution unanimously on July 27th.

Manhattan Community Board 1 Resolution on St. Vincent's

DNA Info Covers Coalition's Community Outreach

Tara Kyle at DNA Info had a great story yesterday about Coalition for a New Village Hospital's Fundraising Committee Chair, Jonathan Slaff.

Slaff, who has also been blogging the Coalition's efforts, is a longtime Village resident, and an important part of the team.

Read the full story here: http://www.dnainfo.com/20100802/greenwich-village-soho/new-group-collecting-tales-of-medical-trauma-after-st-vincents-closure

COMMUNITY MEMBERS FILE APPEAL TO DEMAND THAT NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INVESTIGATE CLOSURE

OF ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL AND ENSURE NEW HOSPITAL AT THE SITE

Attorneys for community members of the West Village and Chelsea filed an appeal on Jul 19, 2010 to challenge the Bankruptcy Court's decision to deny community members the right to file suit against the Department of Health for allowing St. Vincent's Hospital to wrongfully close and for not ensuring a hospital replaced the 160 year medical institution. The Bankruptcy Judge claimed the suit would unfairly impact the distribution of assets to the creditors deciding it would "exercise control" over the assets.

Yetta Kurland, one of the attorneys representing the community members stated "This is not just about our fundamental right to health care, it is also about our fundamental right to due process. The Department of Health has an affirmative statutory obligation to ensure hospitals are closed properly. That means that the public needs to be properly protected in that process, which it was not here. It also means that the DOH has to ensure a continuation of the same services and ensure that this is place before it allows a hospital to close.

"But the Bankruptcy Court Judge told us that we could not proceed with our claim in New York State Court, not because we didn't have grounds, but because she wanted to retain jurisdiction on all matters related to the closure. But then she turned around and told us that we couldn't bring this lawsuit in Bankruptcy Court because we weren't a debtor or a creditor and because it might adversely impact the creditors' assets. This is not about assets, this is about people's lives. It begs the question; where do we go for relief when our state agencies are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. We believe the decision violates due process, New York State health laws and the New York State constitution."

Here's a full copy of the appeal

Coalition for a New Village Hospital Appellant Brief

COMMUNITY BOARD 2 PASSES RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A HOSPITAL AT THE SITE OF ST. VINCENT'S AND A LOCK ON LAND TO ENSURE IT

COMMUNITY BOARD 2 PASSES RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A HOSPITAL AT THE SITE OF ST. VINCENT'S AND A LOCK ON LAND TO ENSURE IT

West Village, New York. July 27, 2010. Over one hundred members of the Coalition for a New Village Hospital came out to the Community Board 2 Full Board Meeting at Elizabeth Irwin High School on Thursday July 22nd to demand a resolution that would protect land use at the St. Vincent's Hospital Campus to ensure it is used for a hospital.

After hours of testimony, in a showing of solidarity with the community, the Board passed a resolution calling on elected officials and the Bankruptcy Court to protect the existing land use by opposing any changes to the zoning, use and occupancy or any other law that would eliminate hospital use at the site. The board also called on the Bankruptcy Court to set up a Community Council, with the aid of the New York City Corporation Counsel, to represent the community in the Bankruptcy Court's procedures.

Yetta Kurland, a civil rights attorney and member of the Coalition stated "This is an incredible victory for our Community. Thanks to the courage and leadership of many Community Board members and the continued hard work of so many who have been fighting since the hospital closed on April 30th, we now have a resolution that our elected officials must listen to. We will settle for nothing less than a hospital at the St. Vincent's site."

The strong language that "opposes all changes in land use" was not initially on the agenda for the meeting. But after hearing testimony from members of the Coalition for a New Village Hospital and other community members speaking in favor of a land lock, the Board changed course and demanded that the resolution be amended to include such language. Arthur Schwartz, a civil rights attorney and member of Community Board 2 negotiated the language for the amendment to the resolution which was passed by a vote of 29 for and only 6 opposed.

Another Coalition member and St. Vincent's Physician, David Kaufman, MD stated "The hundreds of thousands of residents that live and work on the Lower West Side and the physicians who serve them desperately need a full service hospital and emergency room. I congratulate and thank Community Board 2 for their support and recognition of this critical need."

Eileen Dunn RN, a St. Vincent's nurse and member of the Coalition thanked the members of Community Board 2 stating "Community Board 2 has shown its true commitment to those they represent and I thank them for acknowledging, through this resolution, the importance of the health and safety of the people of the Lower West Side."

The Board's resolution puts them on record opposing any changes to the zoning, certificate of occupancy or other part of the land use that would eliminate the hospital use. Community Boards, while advisory, are considered an essential part of the ULURP process required to achieve such changes. Speaker Christine Quinn who also plays a vital role in the ULURP process is also recently on record stating that she "will continue our push for a full service hospital here." A full copy of the resolution is included below.

FULL TEXT OF RESOLUTION:

At its Full Board meeting on July 22, 2010, Community Board 2 (Manhattan) adopted the following resolution:

RESOLUTION STATING CB 2'S SUPPORT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES ON THE FORMER ST. VINCENT'S CAMPUS

WHEREAS, the closure of St. Vincent's Hospital has resulted in the community's loss of an emergency room, in-patient hospital, Level 1 trauma center and the capacity to address a widespread public health emergency such as a natural disaster or act of terrorism, creating a significant gap in the health care services available to the residents of this community board and the entire Lower West Side of Manhattan; and

WHEREAS, as heard by the community board during the June 14 and July 15, 2010 public hearings and at previous community meetings, there is widespread public support for the re-establishment of a full-service, acute care hospital on the former St. Vincent's campus, and the community board reiterates its strong support for such a hospital at such location, as well; and

WHEREAS, all or part of the current St. Vincent's campus is the most logical, cost-effective, and central location for the re-establishment of such a hospital or other health care facility that will adequately address the community's myriad health care needs, and, in fact, may be the only location suitable for such a facility, which compounds the urgency of this resolution.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Community Board No. 2 opposes all changes in land use laws, zoning rules, landmarks laws, or any other laws that would eliminate hospital uses at the site of the former St. Vincent's; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOVED that CB2 shall seek to petition the Bankruptcy Court and create a community committee to explore in a publicly transparent manner, all options for the St. Vincent's campus, and requests assistance from the NYC Corporation Counsel to assert such a petition; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CB2 urges our elected officials to join the Community Board in this petition.

Manhattan Community Board 2 Resolution on St. Vincent's

COALITION FOR A NEW VILLAGE HOSPITAL Petition

Sign this petition to our elected officials Demand A Hospital for the Lower West Side!!!

COALITION FOR A NEW VILLAGE HOSPITAL Petition

HANDS AROUND ST. VINCENT’S THIS SATURDAY

Let this response inspire us to action. This Saturday, May 29th at 2pm, we will be inviting all of our elected officials back to hear from experts and advocates who understand and care about our community to let them know that there is no reason why a hospital can't thrive at the old St. Vincent's site!

But we need you there on Saturday to let them know that we will not be dissuaded.

Hands Around St. Vincent's

SATURDAY MAY 29th

2:00 - 4:00pm

Gather at 7th Avenue & 12th Street

JOIN WITH US TO DEMAND A HOSPITAL AT THE SITE OF ST. VINCENT'S

COME SHARE YOUR STORIES AND LET OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW -
WE NEED A HOSPITAL AT THE ST. VINCENT'S SITE!

We also need your help spreading the word. Here's a PDF of a flyer you can print and distribute to your community. http://www.yettakurland.com/svh/handsflyer.pdf

You can RSVP to the Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124836660873812&ref=mf

Coalition for a New Village Hospital Responds to Senator Duane’s Forum

Last Friday, Senator Thomas K. Duane held for a forum entitled "How Can We Get Back a Hospital for Our Community". The forum was a direct response to our work marching in the streets, fighting in the court, and organizing to demand that our hospital be restored.

Though some of the panelists invited by Senator Duane attempted to tell us we no longer need a hospital, Eileen Dunn, representing the Nurses Union, made it clear that we must we have a hospital on the Lower West Side and that if we make our voices heard, we can make it happen.

Perhaps most incredible was one of the panelists' response when asked what a resident should do if they were experiencing a heart attack or some other emergency.

Please see the clip below captured by George Sosa, a documentarian who covered this meeting to see what the "health advocate" had to say:

NYS Senator Thomas Duane's Health Care Education Panel 5/21/10 (Clip 1) from g. sosa on Vimeo.

Below is the Coalition’s answers to some of the questions posed at Senotr Duane’s forum.

WHY A HOSPITAL?
An urgent care center cannot meet the public health and safety needs of this community. It will not be able to offer level 1 trauma, an emergency room or related intensive care and hospital beds needed. Nor would it support the complex web of health care this community depended on with St. Vincent's and needs. This includes but is not limited to pediatric, oncology, HIV/AIDS and birthing services. A hospital will also be able to bring income to our City and the State through Federal funding, and other sources, not available to an urgent care center.

WHY THE ST. VINCENT'S LOCATION?
St. Vincent's location is centrally located, and already has hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure for a hospital. It will be significantly easier to renovate and reuse and will comport with the look, feel and needs of the community. It is not true that St. Vincent's past debts will adversely impact a new hospital for being at this site. In fact, because St. Vincent's is in bankruptcy, its past debts will be discharged and a new hospital would be able to acquire the property at a potentially greatly reduced price. Ideas to promise a hospital in the future at some other time would only be dangling a carrot that would be lost in vague real estate development schemes and would not put our health and safety first. It would also take years. In the meantime we would have lost the zoning for a hospital at the St. Vincent's site. If we can't open an active hospital at the site of a recently closed hospital, how are we going to open it anywhere else? We should not lose this opportunity.

WHY IS IT POSSIBLE?
Nay-sayers will tell you that it's not possible, that there is too much debt, that no entity is interested and that there are already too many hospital beds in Manhattan. This is far from the truth. First, the debt will be discharged. A hospital will provide more revenue streams than an urgent care center, and properly managed, especially given changes in national health care, could be a significant financial asset to the community. Second, there have been and continues to be many entities interested in opening a hospital at the St. Vincent's site, and it is up to our leaders to bring them to the table and find a way to do this. Finally, while there may be communities lucky enough to have too many hospital beds, we have far too little. In fact, we have none. We have a right to health care, and hospital beds and emergency care. And these vital services must be properly apportioned in all neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, including ours.

Coalition for a New Village Hospital holds Planning Meeting

Over 125 people turned up for Thursday night's planning meeting at Our Lady of Pompeii Church in the West Village. In addition to community members, attendees included representatives of numerous community groups – including PTAs, block associations, civil rights groups, civic associations.

The meeting, chaired by Civil Rights Attorney Yetta Kurland, discussed various approaches to our demand for a new village hospital.

Here's a video of Ms. Kurland explaining the state of the legal challenges:

At this point, we were joined briefly by Julie Menin, Chair of Community Board One. Ms. Menin discussed the joint taskforce of Community Boards 1, 2, 3 and 4 on health care – and committed to work towards a hospital for the lower West Side. She also addressed the stresses already being felt on New York Downtown Hospital (formerly Beekman) in lower Manhattan.

Here she is discussing the role these hospitals play in the event of a homeland security emergency.

After these introductory presentations, the bulk of the meeting was composed of community ideas on how to fight back. Some of the consensus ideas were:

• A campaign of Street Actions at the site of old St. Vincent's (more on this soon)
• Work with the Community Boards to help keep the St. Vincent's site designated for hospital use.
• Outreach to elected officials
• Art and Culture installations
• A complaint to the Attorney General's office was circulated.

Things are developing very quickly, so watch this space...

Planning Meeting, Thursday May 13th

Help plan our next action!

This Thursday, May 13th at 6pm at Our Lady of Pompeii Church located at 25 Carmine Street, corner of Bleeker Street (Map), we'll hold a follow up meeting to our April 30th Town Hall Meeting where Assemblymember Gottfried, Assemblymember Glick and Senator Duane joined us to discuss some of the serious concerns with how St. Vincent's Hospital was closed and equally serious concerns with the fact that we now have no hospital on the lower west side of Manhattan.

There was an incredible turnout of hundreds of community members. Many great ideas came out of this Town Hall discussion and many of you have emailed us since then with other great ideas and thoughts.

We need to hear from you this Thursday as we sit down together to organize our next action and get even more people out.

The only way we will hold those responsible for this illegal closure and get a new hospital for the Village is if we get our entire community to come out so please come on Thursday to help us plan how to do this.

If you're on Facebook, RSVP to the Facebook event.

Video from the St. Vincent's Town Hall on April 30th

Here are some of the highlights from last week's well attended town hall to Demand a Hospital at the St. Vincent's site.

Here's Civil Rights Attorney Yetta Kurland exposing some shady dealings involved with the closure.




And here's Eileen Dunn, RN, a longtime St. Vincent's nurse detailing how St. Vincent's management had failed to file paperwork for years. With the result that St. Vincent's employees have been denied unemployment benefits, social security accrual and more.



Later in the evening, New York State Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried criticized New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The mayor, who likes to get involved in issues that are important to New York City, did not participate in trying to save St. Vincent's, the Hon. Gottfried said.




Dr. David Kaufman explained the differences between "Urgent Care" facilities and a hospital:





And here's the entire evening, captured by David Jr., a community resident.

Hundreds Turn out to Demand a Hospital at St. Vincent's

Four hundred New Yorkers met at the Hudson Guild on Friday night to demand a hospital at St. Vincent's. Much of the three hour meeting was composed of residents speaking about how much St. Vincent's has meant to them, and how essential a full-service community hospital is to our city.

A panel of experts also spoke, detailing the history of St. Vincent's collapse, explaining impacts on the community and proposing new ways forward. Panel organizers Yetta Kurland and Thomas Shanahan were joined by Miguel Acevedo, St. Vincent's nurse Eileen Dunn RN, St. Vincent's doctor David Kaufman MD, and St. Vincent's patient Jay Kallio.

Elected officials including Assemblymember Richard Gottfired, Assemblymember Deborah Glick and Senator Thomas Duane also spoke and listened to feedback.

Contact your elected officials and Demand a Hospital at St. Vincent's!

Any solution to this crisis will require leadership from our elected officials. We need to let them know that We Demand a Hospital at St. Vincent's! Here are some people to contact and a few sample letters.

Be sure to include your full name and address so they know who's calling.

Dear Mayor Michael Bloomberg:

The lower West side of Manhattan will not be safe without a level 1 trauma care hospital. I believe it will be more expensive to have to shuttle people between two facilities and we will lose federal funds available to a hospital that would not be available to an urgent care center. But most importantly, Mr. Mayor, there is no value you can put on human life. I am writing to demand that you protect our public health and safety and ensure a hospital exists at the site that was St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Email the Mayor at http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html, Call him at 311, or write him at City Hall, New York, NY 10007

Dear Governor Paterson:
We need a hospital on the lower West side of Manhattan. An urgent care center will not be able to provide the level of emergency care or the breadth of full health care services our community needs. It would not be able to adequately address any real public health or safety issues if they were to come up. Where is our hospital? I am writing to let you know we demand a hospital in lower Manhattan.

Email the Governor here, Call him at 518-474-8390, or write him at State Capitol, Albany, NY12224

Dear NYS Commissioner of Health Richard F. Daines:

You have a duty to the community in lower Manhattan to make sure a hospital exists here. The Berger Commission determined what hospitals should and should not be closed down, and St. Vincent’s was not chosen to be shut down. This means there is a real and compelling public need for a hospital at this location. I am writing to demand that you make sure this happen in the immediate. Also what happened to St. Vincent’s? You have the power to compel an investigation by the Attorney General’s office to find out why St. Vincent’s lost so much money. I am asking that you do this immediately.

Email the Commissioner at dohweb@health.state.ny.us, Call him at 518-474-2011, and write him at New York State Dept of Health, Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany,NY 12237

Dear Speaker Christine Quinn (Speaker of the City Council AND Lower West Side's Councilmember):

As you well know, we need a hospital on the lower West side of Manhattan. An urgent care center will not be able to provide the level of emergency care or the breadth of full health care services our community needs. It would not be able to adequately address any real public health or safety issues if they were to come up. I am writing to ask you to encourage the city council to guarantee that the resources and land at the old St. Vincent’s site be adaptively reused for a community hospital. Thank you.

Email Speaker Quinn at quinn@council.nyc.ny.us, call her at (212) 564-7757 and write to her at 224 West 30th St., Suite 1206, New York, NY 10001

Dear Senator Thomas K. Duane (Chair of the NYS Senate Health Committee AND Lower West Side's Senator):
As you well know, we need a hospital on the lower West side of Manhattan. An urgent care center will not be able to provide the level of emergency care or the breadth of full health care services our community needs. It would not be able to adequately address any real public health or safety issues if they were to come up. Also what happened to St. Vincent’s? You have the power to hold a hearing in the Senate Health Committee to find out why St. Vincent’s lost so much money. I am asking that you do this immediately.

Email the Senator at duane@senate.state.ny.us, call him at (212) 633-8052 or (518) 455-2451, and write him at 322 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10001

Dear Assemblymember Richard N. Gottfried (Chair, NYS Assembly Health Committee and West Side Assemblymember):
As you well know, we need a hospital on the lower west side of Manhattan. An urgent care center will not be able to provide the level of emergency care or the breadth of full health care services our community needs. It would not be able to adequately address any real public health or safety issues if they were to come up. Also what happened to St. Vincent’s? You have the power to hold a hearing in the Assembly Health Committee to find out why St. Vincent’s lost so much money. I am asking that you do this immediately.

Email the Assemblymember at GottfriedR@assembly.state.ny.us, call him at 212-807-7900 or518-455-4941, and write him at 242 West 27th Street,New York,NY 10001

Timeline at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan

How did this happen? Here's a timeline of the negotiation and deals involved in the closure of our St. Vincent's

St. Vincent's Timeline

View more presentations from NewellNYC.

Myths vs. Truths at St. Vincent's Hospital

Myths vs. Truths at St. Vincent's Hospital

View more presentations from NewellNYC.