Gov. Kathy Hochul is changing her tune about the future of SUNY Downstate’s University Hospital.
The governor plans to preserve inpatient services at Downstate, a departure from a plan revealed last year that would have closed the main hospital building, shifted inpatient services to surrounding medical facilities and built an ambulatory health center on campus.
“We are changing the narrative,” said Debbie Louis, the governor’s assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs at a public hearing on Wednesday. “This hospital is not closing down.”
The move to preserve some inpatient services comes with additional funding for the hospital in Hochul’s executive budget, bringing capital funds to renovate the hospital up to $750 million. It includes $200 million to cover Downstate’s operating losses over two years and is an increase from last year’s $300 million for building renovations.
The boosted funding “makes it possible to have a mix of inpatient and outpatient services,” according to SUNY Chancellor John King. A state-appointed advisory board, which was mandated in last year’s budget, is tasked with using the $750 million to devise a plan to modernize the aging hospital building and ensure it remains financially sustainable in the years to come. It is unclear what inpatient services will remain.
The shift sparked hope among hospital staff and community members, who feared that a closure might erode access to services including maternal care and Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant center. Still, some are skeptical that the state’s money is a band-aid that fails to address the root of the hospital’s funding challenges: the safety-net hospital primarily serves those with Medicaid or Medicare which reimburse hospitals at a much lower rate than private insurance.
If the hospital is going “to achieve any kind of financial sustainability, these services must attract a broader range of patients,” said Dr. Fred Kowal, a member of Downstate’s community advisory board and president of the union United University Professionals, which represents roughly 2,000 faculty and staff.
Mayoral candidate and vocal opponent of the closure, Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who represents the neighborhoods surrounding Downstate, echoed those sentiments.
“Downstate’s future must include expanded access to critical inpatient services like complex maternal care, kidney transplants and more,” he said. “We will accept nothing less.”
