August 8, 2013
By Neal Tepel
New York – Public Advocate Bill de Blasio released a new analysis of Red Hook’s access to nearby hospitals, showing that one of the city’s most underserved communities will fare far worse if Long Island College Hospital closes. Currently, no point in Red Hook is less than a mile from the nearest emergency room. But those distances—already unacceptable—will increase dramatically without L.I.C.H.
Long Island College Hospital is roughly 1.5 miles from most of Red Hook. The next nearest hospitals are New York Methodist Hospital in Park Slope and Brooklyn Hospital Center in Downtown Brooklyn, 2 miles and 3 miles from the nearest parts of Red Hook, respectively. Travel times to the nearest hospital by driving and public transit from the neighborhood could more than double without L.I.C.H.
“Access to health care isn’t a luxury. We can’t strip neighborhoods that are already underserved of the safety-net hospitals they depend on for primary care and emergency medical services. These people’s lives are literally at stake, and we can’t let geography or real estate interests barricade access to quality health care in Brooklyn,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
Nearly 7,000 residents live in Red Hook Houses East and West. On average, their travel times by car to the nearest hospital could double without L.I.C.H. open.
