October 30, 2013
By Stephanie West
De Blasio: ‘This hospital is still open for care because this community takes nothing for granted’
New York, NY — On October 28th Public Advocate Bill de Blasio stood with nurses, health care workers and civic groups to protest the imminent layoffs of 500 staff members from Long Island College Hospital, and to announce legal steps to halt the firings, which would have resulted in the closure of key medical units at L.I.C.H., in violation of previous court orders.
“This hospital is still open for care because this community takes nothing for granted. These layoffs were another backdoor attempt at closing L.I.C.H., and SUNY presented them as a done-deal. We knew better," said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
“We stood shoulder to shoulder, and because of that, the men and women who make this hospital work will be on the job tomorrow and in the days that follow, keeping this community safe. We will keep up this fight until the day we can turn L.I.C.H. over to a responsible provider that will preserve health care for the thousands of residents who need it.”
Those layoffs, slated to begin Next Tuesday, will now be postponed, keeping staff on the job and preserving critical services at the hospital.
