Since last fall, we have been busy with building and coordinating a campaign to save hospital care in Lower Manhattan (Beth Israel Medical Center, and New York Eye and Ear Institute, both operated by Mount Sinai Health System.)

The new “Save Beth Israel and New York Eye & Ear Campaign” is bringing community leaders, activists, and residents of Lower Manhattan together with local elected officials, community boards, and hospital workers, and is having significant impact. We are leveraging this campaign to push New York leaders to strengthen the state’s oversight of hospitals overall with an eye toward prioritizing local community needs.

Since the beginning of this year, similar hospital care crises have emerged in Central Brooklyn (the planned closure of SUNY Downstate University Hospital), and in Upper Manhattan (the planned elimination of midwifery care at New York-Presbyterian’s Allen Hospital in Inwood.)

Our main takeaways from all these situations are that New York officials must focus on the needs of local communities rather than just catering to the market-driven business plans of large hospital networks. It’s clear that New York desperately needs to restore regional health planning that prioritizes and supports hospitals’ commitment to local community service areas, particularly in medically-needy communities.

With all that in mind, Mayor Adams is holding a community town hall on Mon. Feb. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Murry Hill Academy, 111 East 33rd St. (just east of Park Ave.) Our new campaign will be there to manifest a community presence at this event to call on the Mayor to do all he can to save Beth Israel and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and more generally, hospital care citywide.

Activists be gathering outside starting at 5:30 p.m. to meet-and-greet attendees as they arrive, provide them a leaflet about the crisis of hospital care in our city, and have a visual presence with signs and banners. Once the Mayor’s event starts, people will be going inside to participate and raise up our concerns about access to hospital care in local communities across our city.  An RSVP is required by using this email address for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit:  rsvpcau@cityhall.nyc.gov — also be sure to bring along a photo ID.