Senator Kristen Gonzalez’s Bill Requiring Hospital Impact Reports Passes NY State Senate

ALBANY, NY – Today, the New York State Senate passed S.2633, sponsored by NY State Senator Kristen Gonzalez. This bill directs the Department of Health to complete a report of the impact of hospital closures on healthcare access in the state. 

New Yorkers are facing an undeclared healthcare emergency, and we need to do more to ensure the public health and safety of our communities. Just days after the NY Supreme Court announced the dismissal of the lawsuit and temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevented the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, this bill aims to make sure that we have a clear understanding of the impact that hospital closures are having on healthcare access statewide, and paves the way for true regional healthcare planning. 

“The closure of MSBI is devastating to our community, and will disproportionately impact low-income patients from medically-underserved communities, ” said Senator Kristen Gonzalez. “We need to ensure that moving forward, we are setting a clear standard for healthcare access, and using data to equitably distribute funding and resources to prevent hospital closures in already underserved communities.”

S.2633 will require the Department of Health to release a report on statewide hospital data, and to identify areas at risk of future hospital closures. It further requires them to use the findings of the report to prioritize funding and resources for communities in need. 

After two years of tireless advocacy from community stakeholders, Beth Israel Medical Center is closing in less than 1 month. This bill aims to ensure that no more communities are similarly denied healthcare access.