An advisory panel overseeing the renovation plan for SUNY Downstate’s University Hospital is considering four proposals to modernize the academic medical center, which range from a new 250-bed hospital to a smaller facility that moves some services to surrounding hospitals.
The four scenarios, outlined at a community hearing on Monday, highlight major sticking points about the future of the East Flatbush safety-net hospital that have persisted over the last year, including whether the state will preserve the bulk of inpatient services and how it expects the facility to stay afloat. Though some groups, including the union-backed advocacy group Brooklyn for Downstate, have pushed for a new hospital on Downstate’s campus, the proposals on the table raise questions about whether the cost of such a plan would exceed the $750 million Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed for the renovation or worsen long-term finances.
The nine-member advisory board, appointed by Hochul and other elected officials in November, is considering two plans to build a new inpatient facility, according to a presentation on behalf of the state by ADENA Consulting Group. The first, which would cost anywhere between $2.2 to $2.7 billion, includes a new 250-bed hospital tower, an enhanced emergency room and expanded inpatient and outpatient services. The plan is closely aligned with a plan put forward by Brooklyn for Downstate, which would take 10 years to build, according to the state’s estimates.
A separate proposal for a new hospital includes a smaller inpatient tower with 100 to 200 beds, which would cost between $1.9 and $2.5 billion, the presentation said. Though this plan includes a new inpatient facility, it would also maintain the existing size of the emergency department and focus on a new ambulatory center to build up more lucrative specialty services.
The other two proposals on the table include a partial rehabilitation of the existing hospital facility while investing more in outpatient care. The board is still considering a plan that would shift some inpatient services to Kings County Hospital. Both proposals that do not include building a new hospital could cost between $750 million to $850 million, estimates show.
Though each of the four plans up for consideration seeks to modernize the hospital, they would make its financial picture even more precarious, according to a financial feasibility study conducted on behalf of the state by Deloitte. But the plans to build a new hospital tower would “significantly worsen” the hospital’s operating deficit, according to the state’s presentation.
None of the plans factor in the costs of certificate-of-need applications, building permits or new equipment, the presentation said, and none of the plans is estimated to cost under $750 million. The deadline for the board to submit recommendations on the hospital’s future is June 1.
The proposals were presented hours after Hochul announced that she reached a preliminary $254 budget deal on Monday. The governor proposed investing $750 million for the SUNY Downstate renovation in her financial proposal released in January, but both the Senate and the Assembly pushed for an additional $250 million. It’s still unclear how much money will be allocated for the renovation as Hochul and the state legislatures continue to negotiate final budget language in the coming days.
