If the deal is concluded with the State University of New York, developer Peebles Corp. would maintain a walk-in ER at the site, and resume ambulance service by July 15. Peebles plans a mixed use development of the LICH campus. The deal offers much less healthcare than community advocates and officials have been fighting for. "I will be signing the document," Justice Baynes told the courtroom. "No judge is going to block what three, four attorneys want to do." He cautioned, however, "It's a tough time for everybody, and I don't think it's over yet." SUNY has agreed to keep the ER open until May 27 while North Shore-LIJ, one of Peeble's health care partners, takes over its staffing and eventually, its operation. SUNY is closing the remainder of the historic Cobble Hill hospital and laying off the staff at midnight on Thursday. In recognition that no survey of the healthcare needs of LICH's catchment area has ever been carried out, the deal also requires that Peebles and its partners hire an independent health care consultant to conduct a "data-driven, transparent" community medical needs assessment of the LICH catchment area, "without any political considerations." Based on the results of this survey, Peebles' partners Maimonides Medical Center, North Shore-LIJ, ProHEALTH and the Institute for Family Health, would be expected to "work in good faith to provide the services deemed advisable."
Jim Walden and team must be exhausted by now.
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