SUNY contempt proceedings on hold; Governor Cuomo gets involved in LICH
Passionate testimony at SUNY board meeting
Just days before long-anticipated contempt proceedings against SUNY and the state Department of Health were scheduled to take place before state Supreme Court Justice Johnny Lee Baynes, an agreement was reached to put legal action on hold for four weeks to give negotiations to find a new operator for Long Island College Hospital (LICH) a chance to succeed.
“This is a huge victory for LICH patients,” said Jill Furillo, Executive Director of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). “We are going to use this time to do everything possible to reach a permanent settlement that protects healthcare in our community. Our goal has always been to keep LICH open for care as a full service hospital, and this agreement is a step in that direction. We will not hesitate to litigate and to move forward with contempt should SUNY violate this agreement or any other court order during the standstill period.”
SUNY did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Advocates for LICH, a 155-year-old hospital in Cobble Hill, said the “standstill” agreement came about Thursday night because Governor Cuomo finally got involved in the fight that threatened to tar the reputation of SUNY and state officials.