Howe’s Brooklyn: LICH: A modest proposal, a practical solution
Here’s a riddle that has, for some of us, a simple answer.
A full-service hospital that loses money—and loses money big-time if run inefficiently—happens to sit on some prime real estate in Brooklyn. What should be done?
The hospital site also borders two of the healthiest, wealthiest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. There is a prime opportunity to engage those communities for support, the kind of support that could be garnered for a sports ‘ home team’. The absence of LICH has created desire and belief that the neighboring historic brownstone communities SHOULD have their own ‘home team’ hospital. Do they deserve it ? Would they support it ? A former operator of LICH, ignored and even severed those traditional venues of support , which had pre-existed at LICH in years past. (If there had NOT been a history of community devotion to LICH, it is doubtful that the 100-plus million dollar Othmer bequest would have included LICH.)