PHHPC MEETING: The state’s Public Health and Health Planning Council will meet in Albany at 10:15 a.m. today. Tune in to the virtual hearing here.
BETH ISRAEL CLOSURE: Mount Sinai closed Beth Israel Hospital’s doors early Wednesday, according to hospital spokesman Loren Riegelhaupt. The health system’s planned closure of the Lower East Side hospital was long delayed by legal battles that prevented the shutdown for months, but a state appeals court ruled on Wednesday that Mount Sinai could proceed with its closure. The health system opened an around-the-clock urgent care center two blocks away from Beth Israel the evening before the hospital closed, as required by state health officials. Read more here.
ASBESTOS AUDIT: The city Department of Education did not keep up with legally required asbestos inspections at 82% of schools known to have the carcinogenic substance, according to an audit from the city comptroller’s office. Between 2021 and 2024, 257 out of 1,431 such schools received the triennial inspection mandated by federal law, the office stated. The inspections are meant to identify damaged or exposed material containing asbestos that could release it into the air.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: The state Office of Mental Health funneled $60,000 to more than a dozen law enforcement, fire and EMS departments to implement suicide prevention initiatives, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday. The two-year grants were provided through the CARES UP program, which provides funding for wellness and suicide prevention programs serving first responders and military veterans. The governor also awarded an additional $40,000 to agencies that previously participated in the CARES UP program.
