Report: Judge orders temporary stay on Beth Israel's March 26 closure

Late yesterday, an appellate judge issued a new temporary stay on Mount Sinai's plans to shut down Beth Israel. 

This ruling arrived five days after a state Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block the facility's closure. 

After Judge Jeffrey Pearlman tossed the lawsuit filed by a community coalition this past August, Mount Sinai announced Beth Israel's closing date of March 26. 

Mount Sinai reportedly moved quickly to empty the hospital on First Avenue and 16th Street. The coalition's pro-bono lawyer, Arthur Schwartz, claimed this week that "every one of the 80 or so admitted patients has either been discharged or transferred to other Mount Sinai facilities. The Intensive Care Unit has been closed. The Cardiac Catheterization Unit has been closed. Ambulances have been notified to not bring patients to Beth Israel because no one is being admitted," per Our Town. 

A Mount Sinai spokesperson confirmed to Gothamist that as of Thursday afternoon, "there were no in-patients at the hospital and all in-patient services had ended,” Riegelhaupt said. "As planned, our [emergency department] remains open and will remain open until closure." 

As Gothamist reported: "Justice John Higgit put the stay in place pending a determination on the case by a panel of judges." 

Mount Sinai officials have said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade due to dwindling cash reserves and reduced bed counts. 

Beth Israel was founded in 1890 on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location on 16th Street and First Avenue in 1929.

[UPDATED]: Mount Sinai Beth Israel will close on March 26 after judge dismisses lawsuit

Updated March 1: An appellate judge issued a new temporary stay on Mount Sinai's plans to shut down Beth Israel. 

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Following a protracted legal tussle, the end is near now for Mount Sinai Beth Israel. 

After a state Supreme Court judge yesterday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block the facility's closure, Mount Sinai Beth Israel leadership announced a March 26 closing date, according to published reports. (Politico's Maya Kaufman also shared the date in an X post last evening.)

As Gothamist and Crain's reported, Judge Jeffrey Pearlman tossed the lawsuit filed in August by a community coalition challenging the closing. 

As previously reported, Mount Sinai must operate a new 24/7 urgent care center near the hospital on First Avenue at 16th Street for at least three months and reach an agreement with New York City Health + Hospitals to invest in expanding Bellevue Hospital's emergency room and psychiatric emergency department. 

In an employee memo shared with Becker's: "This date will allow us to ramp down the facility in a manner that is seamless and safe for patients and staff," said Elizabeth Sellman, president and COO of Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Arthur Schwartz, the coalition's pro-bono lawyer, said he would appeal the decision and seek a new stay on the closure within 24 hours, per Gothamist. 

Reactions included...

As someone who has championed the expansion of hospital capacity in NYC as an advocate, and now as Chair of the @NYCCouncil Health Committee, today's court decision is a slap in the face to the community that relies on Beth Israel for their healthcare needs. https://t.co/QXgqrFbQH7

— Lynn Schulman 舒曼琳 (@Lynn4NYC) February 24, 2025

Mount Sinai officials have said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade, with dwindling cash reserves and reduced bed counts.

Beth Israel was founded 143 years ago on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location on 16th Street and First Avenue in 1929.

ICYMI: Mount Sinai receives conditional approval from the state to close Beth Israel

This past Thursday, the New York State Department of Health conditionally approved Mount Sinai's quest to close Beth Israel. 

According to Health Department officials, Mount Sinai must operate a new 24/7 urgent care center near the hospital on First Avenue at 16th Street for at least three months and reach an agreement with New York City Health + Hospitals to invest in expanding Bellevue Hospital's emergency room and psychiatric emergency department. 

Politico's Maya Kaufman first reported on the latest development here: 

"The conditional approval of the closure plan submitted by Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital is based on careful and extensive review of the plan and delineates several conditions to help ensure that patients receive quality care at nearby hospitals and other primary care providers," Department of Health spokesperson Erin Clary said in a statement to Politico. 

A Mount Sinai spokesperson did not provide a new tentative closure date for Beth Israel, saying the hospital will "remain open and accepting patients" for the time being, per NY1. 

Mount Sinai's plan to close on July 12 was previously postponed. 

The Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary's lawsuit is still pending. A Mount Sinai spokesperson said they hope for an expedited review of the case. 

Crain's reported that Mount Sinai "has spent at least $72,000 in the last year to lobby state health officials about its plans" to shutter the facility.

Community activists pointed to the lobbying behind Mount Sinai's closing push in a statement. 

We are shocked and deeply dismayed that New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald has succumbed to a high-pressure lobby campaign by Mount Sinai Health System to approve the closure of Beth Israel Medical Center without even agreeing to meet with community leaders and members and our local elected public officials, despite long-standing requests. 

Commissioner McDonald's action will now turn much of Lower Manhattan into yet another hospital desert in our city, leaving tens of thousands of people without access to hospital care. We call on him to immediately rescind and reconsider his decision and then sit down with us to hear our concerns, something he has so far refused to do. 

The "conditions" Commissioner McDonald has attached to his approval provide meaningless protections for Lower Manhattan residents and workers — they would be laughable were the results not so serious. 

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, local elected officials spoke out about the decision to allow Beth Israel to close, saying the conditions fall well short of providing the assurances "our communities need and deserve"...

My colleagues and I reviewed the State Department of Health's conditional approval of the Mount Sinai Beth Israel closure. Here is our statement on the Department's decision: pic.twitter.com/XtcpGsraTU

— NYS Senator Brian Kavanagh 卡范納 (@BrianKavanaghNY) July 26, 2024

In the spring, The New York Times reported that patient care was suffering at Beth Israel, where cuts have meant the hospital can't care for critically ill new arrivals. 

Mount Sinai officials have previously said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade, and only $29 million remains in cash reserves. 

Beth Israel was founded 143 years ago on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location in 1929.

Report: Beth Israel closure on hold for now

Photo earlier this year by Pinch 

Mount Sinai will not be shutting down Beth Israel on Friday after all. 

As Crain's first reported yesterday, the closure has been postponed indefinitely, according to an internal memo sent to staff.

Per Crain's: 

The hospital has previously held firm on the original closure date, but two major challenges have foiled its plans for now: The state has yet to approve the closure plan, and a Manhattan judge has blocked the hospital from ceasing services after neighbors and advocates filed suit.

And! 

The hospital system did not give a new target closure date, saying that the situation now depends on state and legal forces.

Mount Sinai had been targeting July 12 since this past October. 

And from Gothamist:

In Wednesday's memo, hospital leaders said they have worked to recruit staff and hire temporary employees to keep the hospital functioning, but "have not been able to bring in all the staff that we would like to."

But community members who sued the hospital to keep it open alleged Mount Sinai officials intentionally manufactured a crisis by diminishing services and driving away staff.

Meanwhile, local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera applauded the news of the postponement.

"It is a relief that Mount Sinai’s indefinite postponement of the closure of Beth Israel will keep the hospital open for now, but their failure to make a long-term commitment puts the health care of over 400,000 Manhattan residents in jeopardy," she said in a statement. "It will take years for existing alternative health care providers to scale up their infrastructure to meet the demand that will be placed on them, and the State must intervene to halt Mount Sinai's hasty efforts to close the hospital down."

Our previous post has more background.

Mount Sinai officials have said Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade and only $29 million remains in cash reserves. 

Beth Israel was founded 143 years ago on the Lower East Side and moved to its current location on 16th Street and First Avenue in 1929.

Mount Sinai submits updated plan to close Beth Israel on July 12

According to published reports, Mount Sinai sent the New York State Department of Health a new plan to close Beth Israel, sticking to the previous timeline to shutter the 799-bed teaching hospital on First Avenue at 16th Street on July 12. 

Mount Sinai Health System CEO Brendan Carr said, per a letter dated May 17, that the health system will open an urgent care center at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary compound (also once on the chopping block) on 14th Street and Second Avenue to lessen the impact of the closure, as Politico reported. 

The facility would provide a broader range of services, including x-rays, ultrasounds, and CT scans, than a typical urgent care center, like the two on 14th Street at or near Third Avenue.

"In looking at the current patients using the 16th Street emergency department, I believe that this expanded urgent care will address many of the concerns and needs of current patients," Carr wrote in the letter.

The latest plan also promises to help Bellevue Medical Center expand its existing emergency department to absorb and care for at least some of the patients displaced by a Beth Israel shutdown.

In December, the Department of Health ordered Mount Sinai to immediately stop the Beth Israel closure.

Despite the updated closing plan, 16 local elected officials voiced their opposition in a signed joint letter released yesterday...

Our coalition remains steadfast in the fight to keep healthcare services available at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel. This hospital is vital to our community’s wellbeing. We urge the State Department of Health to return the application that has a closure set for July of this year. pic.twitter.com/BYbBg9E7s7

— Carlina Rivera (@CarlinaRivera) May 28, 2024

"Our offices have received notice that the Mount Sinai Health System has resubmitted their application to close Beth Israel Hospital on July 12 of this year. This elimination of services on a hasty timeline without adequate community engagement remains unacceptable, and we urge the Department of Health to return this application. Mount Sinai must engage in a robust and collaborative process to fulfill its obligations to the community in ensuring access to high-quality health care is protected in lower Manhattan." 

The Save Beth Israel and New York Eye & Ear Campaign also has concerns about the revised plan. Their letter can be found here.

The Times recently reported that patient care is suffering at Beth Israel, where cuts have meant the hospital can't care for critically ill new arrivals. 

Mount Sinai officials say Beth Israel lost $1 billion in the last decade, and only $29 million remains in cash reserves.

Beth Israel was founded 143 years ago on the Lower East Side, moving to its current location in 1929.

At the march to Save Beth Israel

Photos by Daniel Efram 

On a windy and overcast Saturday afternoon, a united and determined group of some 75 people gathered to march, demonstrating their commitment to restore services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. 

The hospital has reportedly been suspending services and moving staff out of the facility on 16th Street and First Avenue without proper approval from the New York State Department of Health.

According to Politico, hospital officials were "increasingly transferring seriously ill patients suffering potentially life-threatening emergencies to other hospitals in the city because they need procedures that are no longer being made available at Beth Israel." 

Earlier this month, the NY State DOH said the closing plans were "incomplete" — "sending hospital leaders back to the drawing board," per Gothamist. 

Friends and supporters of Beth Israel met at Abe Lebewohl Park on 10th Street and Second Avenue and marched to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary on 14th Street and Second Avenue, where services have also reportedly been slashed.

The Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, which organized the march, are asking that Mount Sinai leadership meet with elected officials and other community leaders to craft a plan to preserve hospital care for the 300,000-plus residents who live and work in Lower Manhattan.

There's a petition to save Beth Israel at this link.

Mount Sinai Beth Israel executives have stated that the closure is an unfortunate necessity due to the system's staggering financial losses, which have exceeded $1 billion in recent years. 

As previously reported, the 799-bed teaching hospital was proposed to close on July 12, 2024. 

A march for hospital care in Lower Manhattan

The drama continues around the pending closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel on First Avenue at 16th Street.

Last week, the New York State Department of Health said the closing plans were "incomplete" — "sending hospital leaders back to the drawing board," as Gothamist reported. 

Local elected officials against the closure responded to the news on April 3...

Read our statement on @HealthNYGov decision to return Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s incomplete closure plan below: pic.twitter.com/eGrajNM01g

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) April 4, 2024

Meanwhile, tomorrow, members of the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary will meet at noon on 10th Street and Second Avenue  ... for a march to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary on 14th Street and Second Avenue and then on to Beth Israel.

Mount Sinai Beth Israel executives have stated that the closure is an unfortunate necessity due to the system's staggering financial losses, which have exceeded $1 billion in recent years. 

As previously reported, the 799-bed teaching hospital was proposed to close on July 12, 2024. 

However, there have been reports that Mount Sinai Beth Israel has been suspending services and moving staff out of the facility without proper approval from the Department of Health.

According to Politico, hospital officials were "increasingly transferring seriously ill patients suffering potentially life-threatening emergencies to other hospitals in the city because they need procedures that are no longer being made available at Beth Israel."

Report explores the impact of Mount Sinai Beth Israel's potential closure on the local community

A new report outlines how the pending closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel on First Avenue at 16th Street will negatively affect vulnerable patients and other medically underserved residents downtown. 

Members of the Community Coalition to Save Beth Israel and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary were joined Monday by Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and State Sen. Kirsten Gonzalez at the Community Board 3 office on Fourth Street to release the results of the health equity impact assessment that explores the consequences of closing Beth Israel. 

Among the results from the report, titled "Lower Manhattan Lifeline: What Beth Israel Medical Center Means to Local Residents" (copy here): 

• Lower Manhattan seriously lacks hospital capacity. Below 14th Street, there is only one full-service hospital with 180 beds for more than 300,000 people. That's less than one hospital bed per 1,000 people — far below the state and national averages of 2.4 beds per 1,000 people.

• Closure of the nearest hospital above 14th Street — Beth Israel — would send people needing emergency care to Bellevue and NYU Langone, which are already "high volume" ERs with average wait times of more than three hours. 

• People with disabilities and frail elderly people, some of whom have depended on Beth Israel for their entire lives, are terrified of losing what they regard as their community hospital and worried about the cost and physical challenges of traveling to uptown Mount Sinai hospitals. 

• The zip codes from which significant percentages of Beth Israel patients are drawn — especially 10002 — include some of the city’s poorest residents, higher-than-citywide rates of public insurance, speaking a language other than English at home, and having only a high school or less education. These are the people who told our surveyors they fear the closure of Beth Israel will leave them without nearby hospital care. 

"There are massive equity implications to Mount Sinai's attempt to close Beth Israel Hospital," Epstein said. "The results of the health equity impact survey show that people with disabilities and low-income folks will suffer the most. The closure of MSBI would disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in our community. We will not stop fighting to preserve this vital neighborhood hospital." 

Organizers sent a copy of the report to New York State Health Commissioner James McDonald, who must decide whether to approve the Mount Sinai Health System's request to close Beth Israel. 

Beth Israel executives have said that the closure is necessary because the hospital has racked up over $1 billion in losses in recent years.

As previously reported, there's a pending July 12, 2024, closing date on the books. In October, officials reportedly notified state regulators — who must sign off on their plans — of their request to shutter the 799-bed teaching hospital.

Reports: State directs Mount Sinai to stop its closure of Beth Israel

ICYMI: The New York State Department of Health has ordered Mount Sinai to "immediately stop" the closure of its Beth Israel campus on First Avenue at 16th Street. 

Per Gothamist:

"Continuing to close beds without approval is unlawful and may result in civil penalties of $2,000 per day for each day that the beds or services are closed without approval," wrote Stephanie Shulman, director of the Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic and Treatment Centers at the health department, to Elizabeth Sellman, Beth Israel’s president and CEO. 

The letter also said the department would pursue other remedies, such as a court order, if the closures don't stop.

Background: 

Mount Sinai submitted a proposal to the state health department in October to close Beth Israel by July 2024. The health system then submitted an addendum last month saying it would be necessary to close some services before the end of the year because of an exodus of doctors and decreased patient volume, which it said put patient safety at risk. 

Reaction:

📢Our statement on @HealthNYGov issuing a cease & desist to @MountSinaiNYC Beth Israel Hospital. 📢 pic.twitter.com/so1AHIrkdL

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) December 21, 2023

We have received word from the NYS Dept. of Health that they have issued a cease and desist directing Mount Sinai Beth Israel to stop closing beds and services without prior approval. This is big news and more to come #SaveBethIsrael

— Carlina Rivera (@CarlinaRivera) December 21, 2023

There is also a survey for community members to let the New York State Department of Health know how important the community hospital is... and why Beth Israel needs to be be saved. Find the survey here.

A rally this morning to speak out about the pending closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Local community advocates and elected officials are gathering this morning to speak out against Mount Sinai's announcement to close their Beth Israel facility on First Avenue at 16th Street. 

Per the invite: 

The decision comes suddenly as the public was alerted in the last three weeks that the hospital would close by summer 2024. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s wider exposure of systemic inequities in New York City's health care system, particularly in regard to the increasingly low levels of inpatient beds provided to under-served communities, the community is rallying to demand the availability of services. 

With the closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel, there will be one hospital south of 23rd Street, an area that has a population of 400,000 people. Councilmember Rivera will lead a rally letting Mt. Sinai know that we need our hospital! 

The rally starts at 11 a.m. today (Dec. 14) on the NW corner of 17th Street and First Avenue.

As previously reported, there's a pending July 12, 2024, closing date on the books. In October, officials reportedly notified state regulators — who must sign off on their plans — of their request to shutter the 799-bed teaching hospital.  

A public meeting (tonight) about the pending closure of Mount Sinai Beth Israel on 1st Avenue

EVG file photo by Stacie Joy 

Mount Sinai officials are hosting a public forum tonight on the proposed closure of the Mount Sinai Beth Israel 16th Street campus on First Avenue. 

As previously reported, there's a pending July 12, 2024, closing date on the books. Last month, officials reportedly notified state regulators — who must sign off on their plans — of their request to shutter the 799-bed teaching hospital. 

Per the meeting flyer (which we only just received): 

Mount Sinai Beth Israel executives will discuss the plans for Downtown, the timeline on closure, and how Mount Sinai will continue to address the needs of the community now and in the future. After the presentation, there will be a Q&A open to the public.

Tonight's meeting (6-8) is inside Baruch College's Engleman Hall, at 55 Lexington Ave. at 25th Street. 

The news of the closure here drew immediate criticism from health advocates and elected officials, who say downtown Manhattan is underserved and emergency response times are already high. 

Per the Times from Nov. 3: 

The closure would mean longer ambulance rides and wait times for some downtown residents having strokes and heart attacks, nurses who work at the hospital said. And it will most likely lead to overcrowding and longer wait times in emergency rooms at hospitals farther uptown.

Reports: Mount Sinai proposed July 2024 closing date for Beth Israel's 16th Street campus

Photo by Stacie Joy

According to published reports (including Crain's and Becker's Hospital Review), Mount Sinai Beth Israel's 16th Street campus now has a proposed July 12, 2024, closing date.

The date was revealed after the health system presented a plan last Wednesday to state authorities on the closure of the 799-bed teaching hospital on First Avenue.

Last month, Mount Sinai officials stated they would phase out operations here, though didn't provide a timeline.

Per Becker's on Friday:

 "We do not take this decision lightly, but due to the changing healthcare landscape and the unfortunate economic reality at MSBI, urgent action is required to preserve the health and vitality of the overall system," Mount Sinai said in a statement. 

The hospital is running at only 20% to 25% capacity and has incurred more than $1 billion in losses, with 2023 losses expected to be approximately $150 million, the hospital said. 

Mount Sinai officials have said that they remain committed to other facilities it operates downtown.

There's also speculation that Mount Sinai Beth Israel, the parent corporation of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, might try to sell the property it owns on 14th Street and Second Avenue, 13th Street and Second Avenue, and 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue — which "could fetch up to $70 million if sold for apartment-building construction," per the Post back in February.  

Reports: Mount Sinai will phase out Beth Israel on 1st Avenue and 16th Street

Photo by Stacie Joy

ICYMI: Last Thursday, citing ongoing financial difficulties, including an expected $150-million loss this year, Mount Sinai announced that it will phase out its Beth Israel facility on 16th Street and First Avenue. 

Hospital officials said this in a statement: "This decision comes after recent financial changes, including significant increases in labor and supply costs, and years of decreasing inpatient census as care continues to move to outpatient and non-hospital settings." 

Officials did not provide a timeline for the closure, stating that the emergency department will still receive patients. 

There's speculation that Mount Sinai Beth Israel, the parent corporation of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, might try to sell the property it owns on 14th Street and Second Avenue, 13th Street and Second Avenue, and 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue — which "could fetch up to $70 million if sold for apartment-building construction," per the Post back in February. 

Following the news of the closure, local elected officials released this statement...

Read our joint statement on @MountSinaiNYC’s planned closure of Beth Israel. @DeborahJGlick @JerryNadler @Gonzalez4NY @MBPMarkLevine @CMCarlinaRivera @KeithPowersNYC pic.twitter.com/P9HGF2Yd5c

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) September 14, 2023

Find more coverage here:

• CBS 2 

• NY1 

• Bloomberg 

• Our Town 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Report: Mount Sinai Beth Israel decides against plans to relocate and downsize

• Raising awareness of Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s proposed merger with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary 

Report: A roadblock for the relocation of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and sale of its land

Mount Sinai Beth Israel's plan to merge New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI) within its system and then sell the prime real-estate facilities in the East Village has hit a "snag," the Post reports. 

A New York State Department of Health committee declined the hospital system's merger proposal.

The DOH panel, known as the New York Public Health and Health Planning Council, voted 11-6 to approve the merger, but it was three votes short of the number needed under the panel's rules. Those who voted no said that, among other issues, Mount Sinai had kept the community in the dark about its plans and dodged questions from the DOH itself. 

The committee's vote is not the final word, as it must be affirmed by DOH Acting Commissioner James V. McDonald, who was named to the post on Jan. 1. A source said it was "rare" for a commissioner to overrule the planning council. 

The Infirmary owns two buildings here — 14th Street and Second Avenue and 13th Street and Second Avenue — and the vacant lot on 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Sources told the Post that the parcel "could fetch up to $70 million if sold for apartment-building construction."

Dr. Howard Berliner, a DOH panel member who voted against the merger ... alluded at the hearing to concerns that Mount Sinai aimed to dismantle NYEEI so that it could cash in on a property sale. 

"If I was a real estate developer, I would be drooling at the prospect of getting the [NYEEI] site in the East Village, probably one of the hottest markets in New York City," Berliner said.

Earlier this month, local elected officials wrote to Mount Sinai CEO Kenneth Davis and urged him to pause its proposal.

Last spring, Village Preservation made an appeal to have 218 Second Ave. at 13th Street landmarked.

Previously

Report: Mount Sinai Beth Israel decides against plans to relocate and downsize

ICYMI: Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials have decided against their "$1 billion downtown transformation" that would have seen the creation of a new 7-story hospital on 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Instead, officials said they will renovate its existing facilities along First Avenue between 16th Street and 17th Streets. 

According to published reports (Crain's first reported on this last week), officials cited the need for additional hospital beds following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System announced a years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan.

The plans included an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue as well as a 7-story hospital on 13th Street on the lot where a now-demolished 14-floor building that housed training physicians and staff once stood. They also planned to close its current location — with nearly 700 beds — on First Avenue and 16th Street. The new 13th Street hospital would have featured 70 beds.

In a statement last week, the health system shared the following (H/T Becker's Hospital Review):

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to our city, regional health care providers and the Mount Sinai Health System. These changes forced us to assess and rethink many aspects of how we can provide and improve care, including re-envisioning the future of Mount Sinai Beth Israel. 

Under our new plan we will be able to surge to the same bed capacity as we did during the height of COVID, which is also more than twice the surge bed capacity as the old 14th Street plan.

Officials said they'd announce more details on the modernization of their current campus at a later date.

It's not immediately clear what they plan to do with the empty lot on 13th Street that was slated for the new facility...

Local elected officials responded to the news in a series of statements...

"We are heartened by Mount Sinai's decision to renovate Beth Israel and look forward to a robust community engagement process in determining the scope of services needed there." — Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer

"Mount Sinai's announcement to stay at the current location and modernize their facilities is a win for the community, which had expressed significant concerns about losing so many hospital beds in lower Manhattan. They voiced these concerns before we even knew what COVID-19 was, and this pandemic showed us — in the most painful and devastating way — how right they were. But there is still much we don't know about this plan. While Mount Sinai has committed to keeping the existing building, we don't know what the future hospital will look like." — State Sen. Brad Hoylman

"Mount Sinai Beth Israel's decision not to relocate and instead focus efforts on bringing the existing campus into the modern era has the potential to improve health care services for Lower Manhattan residents. But we will only be able to truly address the systemic health care inequities exposed by COVID-19 at Mount Sinai and beyond if the full breadth of community demands are met. This includes the return of previously removed inpatient beds and medical services, as well as a commitment to improved community engagement." — Council Member Carlina Rivera, chair of the City Council Committee on Hospitals.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• An empty lot awaits the future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on 13th Street

• Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building

• Mount Sinai Beth Israel files plan for 7-story hospital on 13th Street

A moment of joy outside Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Text and photos by Daniel Efram

My apartment is across from one of the loading docks for the Mount Sinai Beth Israel complex on First Avenue.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the sounds around here have been limited to sirens as well as nurses, doctors and health-care workers arriving for their shifts — not to mention the constant presence of hearses, which seem to come and go at all hours.

Yesterday, in one of my rare grocery outings, I heard a huge round of applause as I crossed First Avenue. Several dozen health-care workers had gathered outside of the hospital exit clapping and cheering as a patient who had successfully battled the virus was being released.



It was an unusually beautiful moment. It was tough to focus. I was crying.

Sharing was also deeply emotional. The first place I thought of posting my photos was with the Survivor Corps Facebook Group, which is dedicated to connecting and mobilizing survivors of COVID-19 as well as helping those who have lost loved ones. It's a very humbling place. I was pleased to share a moment of joy.

Have questions or concerns about the new Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital on 2nd Avenue?

[Rendering of the Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital]

You have two chances to hear more about Mount Sinai Beth Israel's plans for new facilities on Second Avenue and 13th Street as well as the Rivington House.

Joining in will be nearly every local elected official...



Per the invite (which only showed up in my inbox last night from a reader): "Voice your concerns about the State review process, medical services, insurance that will be accepted and more."

The first public meeting is tonight (Oct. 29) from 6:30-8:30 at P.S. 20, Essex at Houston. Next Monday (Nov. 4) the meeting moves to the Sirovich Senior Center on 12th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Hospital officials are expected to be on-hand to answer questions about the project.

Back in the summer, Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials released more details on their "$1 billion downtown transformation."

For starters, they submitted an application to the state Department of Health to close and relocate Mount Sinai Beth Israel from its current location on First Avenue and 16th Street to Second Avenue and 13th Street.

As previously reported in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan.

The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue, which includes a new 7-story hospital on 13th Street on the lot where a now-demolished 14-floor building that housed training physicians and staff once stood.

Per the Mount Sinai Beth Israel news release from July:

Demolition for the planned site of the new Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital was completed earlier this year and, pending approvals, Mount Sinai anticipates breaking ground in early 2020.

Expected to open in 2023, the new hospital will feature all private inpatient beds, cutting edge cardiac and neurologic interventional services, an operative platform, and a state-of-the-art emergency department. It will be integrated with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, allowing for enhanced Ophthalmologic and ENT clinical services, including a 24/7 eye trauma emergency department, and access to state-of-the-art imaging, pharmacy, and laboratory services. In the meantime, the current MSBI hospital and emergency department will remain fully open and accessible until the opening of the new hospital.

As for the former Rivington House:

Included in the $1 billion Downtown plan is a $140 million commitment to create a comprehensive, community-oriented behavioral health center: The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center.

The new facility, located at the site of the current Rivington House, will offer downtown residents a holistic approach to mental health and become a one-stop location for psychiatric, addiction, physical health, and social service needs. ... The site will not include methadone treatment services.

The sale of the Rivington House, a six-story, 119-year-old building at 45 Rivington St., "represents one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's biggest black eyes," as Gothamist once put it.

In February 2015, the Allure Group paid $28 million for the property, promising that 45 Rivington — the former Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation — would remain a health facility. In November 2015, a city agency lifted the the deed in exchange for the Allure Group's $16 million payment to the city. Allure then reportedly sold the property for $116 million to a development group with designs on a condoplex for the property that overlooks Sara S. Roosevelt Park, unleashing an outpouring of outrage.

The condo plans never moved forward. Crain's first reported on Mount Sinai's plan to lease the space last December. (The move caught Rivington House advocates by surprise.)

Find more info on the Mount Sinai Beth Israel restructuring at their FAQ page.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An empty lot awaits the future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on 13th Street

Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building

Mount Sinai Beth Israel files plan for 7-story hospital on 13th Street

Mount Sinai Beth Israel offers more details on new East Village hospital, plans for the former Rivington House

[Where the new 7-floor hospital will rise on 13th Street]

Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials yesterday released more details on their "$1 billion downtown transformation."

For starters, they have submitted an application to the state Department of Health to close and relocate Mount Sinai Beth Israel from its current location on First Avenue and 16th Street to Second Avenue and 13th Street.

As previously reported in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan.

The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue, which includes a new 7-story hospital on 13th Street on the lot where a now-demolished 14-floor building that housed training physicians and staff once stood.

Per the Mount Sinai Beth Israel news release yesterday:

Demolition for the planned site of the new Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital was completed earlier this year and, pending approvals, Mount Sinai anticipates breaking ground in early 2020.

Expected to open in 2023, the new hospital will feature all private inpatient beds, cutting edge cardiac and neurologic interventional services, an operative platform, and a state-of-the-art emergency department. It will be integrated with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, allowing for enhanced Ophthalmologic and ENT clinical services, including a 24/7 eye trauma emergency department, and access to state-of-the-art imaging, pharmacy, and laboratory services. In the meantime, the current MSBI hospital and emergency department will remain fully open and accessible until the opening of the new hospital.

And a new rendering of this facility — this is the view of Second Avenue from 13th Street... showing existing structures as well as the revamped current facilities and new hospital...



Also announced yesterday, more details about use of the former Rivington House:

Included in the $1 billion Downtown plan is a $140 million commitment to create a comprehensive, community-oriented behavioral health center: The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center.

The new facility, located at the site of the current Rivington House, will offer downtown residents a holistic approach to mental health and become a one-stop location for psychiatric, addiction, physical health, and social service needs. ... The site will not include methadone treatment services.

The sale of the Rivington House, a six-story, 119-year-old building at 45 Rivington St., "represents one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's biggest black eyes," as Gothamist once put it.

In February 2015, the Allure Group paid $28 million for the property, promising that 45 Rivington — the former Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation — would remain a health facility. In November 2015, a city agency lifted the the deed in exchange for the Allure Group's $16 million payment to the city. Allure then reportedly sold the property for $116 million to a development group with designs on a condoplex for the property that overlooks Sara S. Roosevelt Park, unleashing an outpouring of outrage.

The condo plans never moved forward. Crain's first reported on Mount Sinai's plan to lease the space last December. (The move caught Rivington House advocates by surprise.)

In reporting on yesterday's expansion news, Crain's noted that since acquiring Beth Israel Medical Center in a deal with Continuum Health Partners in 2013, "Mount Sinai has lost a significant amount of money on the medical center's East Village and Brooklyn campuses." How much? "Those campuses lost $104.6 million last year on $904.9 million in operating revenue. That was an improvement from a $124.2 million loss in 2017."

Find more info on the Mount Sinai Beth Israel restructuring at their FAQ page.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An empty lot awaits the future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on 13th Street

Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building

Mount Sinai Beth Israel files plan for 7-story hospital on 13th Street

Mount Sinai Beth Israel files plan for 7-story hospital on 13th Street

[Photos from Sunday]

The initial work permit has been filed for part of the new Mount Sinai Beth Israel complex on 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

According to the permit filed last Wednesday, the "hospital building" will stand 7 floors — encompassing more than 112,000 square feet. (H/T New York Yimby!)

This will rise on the now-empty lot where a 14-floor building (321 E. 13th St.) stood that housed training physicians and staff of the nearby New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.





As previously reported in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan. The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue, which includes this 7-story building.

Mount Sinai Beth Israel had not previously specified how many floors the new building would be. Officials briefed Community Board 6 in February, which Town & Village covered:

The new Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital planned for East 13th Street may be shorter than initially planned due to newly-discovered unused space at the adjacent New York Eye and Ear facility, representatives announced at a sparsely-attended Community Board 6 meeting ...

"We discovered that there was more property available inside the New York Eye and Ear building, which allowed us to reconfigure what we’re going to do with the new building on 13th Street," said Brad Korn, corporate director of community affairs for Mount Sinai Beth Israel. "We're not changing any of the programs or promises we made on beds or anything like that, but it just makes it a little easier and will be a little less intrusive in the new build-up."

Brad Beckstrom, senior director for community and government for Mount Sinai, told CB6 that the new plan will connect to the New York Eye and Ear building "so it will become an integrated hospital."



Find more info on the Mount Sinai Beth Israel restructuring at their FAQ page.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An empty lot awaits the future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on 13th Street

Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building


[No. 321 in 2016]

An empty lot awaits the future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on 13th Street

Over on 13th Street, EVG regular Pinch notes that the former 14-floor building here between Second Avenue and First Avenue that housed training physicians and staff of the nearby New York Eye and Ear Infirmary is now just an empty lot.

Workers have wrapped up the demolition phase ...



The property — previously 321 E. 13th St. — will be home to part of the new, 70-bed Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, with a 2021 opening at the moment...





Find more info on the Mount Sinai Beth Israel restructuring at their FAQ page.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building


[No. 321 in 2016]