The announcement by Montefiore Health System that it is planning to close Mount Vernon Hospital has produced negative reactions from some local elected leaders along with calls for Montefiore to reconsider its decision. The closing would take place in 2020 after Montefiore opens a new $41 million health care complex on Sanford Boulevard in Mount Vernon.
Montefiore said that the new 40,000 square foot health care center would offer ambulatory care and emergency services. Patients requiring the inpatient care and surgical services which had been offered at Mount Vernon Hospital could receive them at other hospitals owned by Montefiore. It said that it expects the $41 million cost to build the new facility would be paid for by a grant from New York state.
State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow of Mount Vernon said, “The hospital has been a pivotal center for the community for years and our residents have come to rely on the services of the hospital. A sudden closure without any replacement will be detrimental to the livelihood of the community.”
Westchester County Legislator Lyndon Williams noted that an assessment prepared by Montefiore found that Mount Vernon had the most vulnerable population for chronic diseases and health risks in the county. “I am concerned that closing the hospital creates extreme hardship for senior citizens and other residents who are in need of critical tertiary and secondary care and places a disproportionate economic burden on a poor and underserved community.”
State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey said, “Many of the city”™s residents rely heavily on the services the hospital provides. This decision could have a significant impact on the wait times and resources of other nearby hospitals and could be life threatening for patients that may require immediate care.”
Mount Vernon”™s Acting Council President, Janice Duarte, said, “We are deeply concerned that Montefiore Hospital would be able to provide better care by reducing its footprint and offering fewer services, especially emergency inpatient and surgical care for a city the size of Mount Vernon.”
Delia Farqarhson, a member of the city council said the closing “signals loss in employment for many and, even worse, the loss in health care services for a community of color that has historically received disparate care for the vulnerable, uninsured and underinsured. We deserve better.” Referring to the Sandford Boulevard facility Montefiore plans to build, she said, “An urgent care facility is not a hospital. In a community of more than 70,000 people, many with chronic conditions, seconds matter. Black lives matter in health care too.”
