Mount Sinai Beth Israel closing in NYC could leave patients in limbo: 'I'm gunna die'

NEW YORK CITY - In a little over a week in NYC, Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Gramercy Park plans to close its doors, leaving many in Lower Manhattan in healthcare limbo.

One woman that spoke with FOX 5 NY is worried about what will happen once her neighborhood hospital closes.

"I raised my son here," she said. "I always brought him here and I have been here many times, especially in the last couple of years for myself."

She wanted to keep her health condition private, only telling FOX 5 NY – "I have ongoing health issues. I'm going to die."

Mount Sinai Beth Israel closing

Beth Israel is located at 1st and E 16th St., with no major hospitals below E 16th St. The closest major hospital, Bellevue, is in Kips Bay – about a mile away.

State Assembly member Harvey Epstein is one of several people behind the fight to save Beth Israel. The hospital has been the site of protests and the center of major pushback and a legal battle. 

FOX 5 NY reported the hospital started scaling back on inpatient beds and cutting services last year. The state Health Department issued a cease and desist order to the hospital. Fast forward to now, a court date is set for August over the closure.

A spokesperson for the hospital system says the closure will happen in compliance with the law. On its website, the Mount Sinai Health System says, "Due to the changing healthcare landscape and financial reality at MSBI, Mount Sinai Health System has made the difficult decision to close the 16th Street campus. The proposed closure date is July 12, 2024."

‘The risk of people dying will go up’

"If the state allows this place to close, and we've been asking the state to not allow it to close, it'll have a reverberation," Epstein said. "Likely people will have longer wait times. The ambulances will take longer to get to the hospital. The risk of people dying will go up."

Mount Sinai says closure plans include building a new urgent care center across the street from the hospital and working with area hospitals to ensure everyone is taken care of.

Even though the hospital has said it's committed to the closure, many are hoping something will change. Right now, the big question is, will the hospital doors close on July 12?