A credible and exhaustive analysis of our community’s unmet needs is still necessary to convince the New York State Department of Health, hospital executives and other health care providers of service gaps that must be filled.
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Even though St. Vincent's Hospital, the Rudin Family and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (NS-LIJ) have agreed upon a redevelopment plan for the former St. Vincent's Hospital site that would include a stand-alone 24-hour emergency room and medical complex and but not a full-service hospital, the plan is not fully developed and requires a number of government approvals. The current proposal also does not preclude another health care provider from establishing a full-service hospital or other essential services in our community. A credible and exhaustive analysis of our community’s unmet needs is still necessary to convince the New York State Department of Health, hospital executives and other health care providers of service gaps that must be filled.
While the Lower West Side Health Needs Assessment Steering Committee has spent the last several months collecting, reviewing and analyzing quantitative data, we are also seeking qualitative data from the public. The St. Vincent’s Community Health Assessment Survey, which will be available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, is an opportunity for residents to share their experiences about how the closure of St. Vincent’s Hospital has affected their health care. It will be posted soon on the websites of Community Boards 2 and 4 (www.manhattancb2.org [4] and www.nyc.gov/mcb4 [5]) and hard copies will be available at local health and community-based organizations.
I believe that the more people who fill out this community survey, the stronger our case will be for a hospital in our community. I hope you will join me in completing this survey, and in asking your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.
