Uncertanities still surround SUNY Downstate Hospital

If there are any indications that the patients past and present, employees, as well as medical students, are satisfied with any decisions made by the Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, regarding Downstate Medical Hospital, it certainly is not so.

Last Friday evening at the Janice Marie Knight Middle School in Brooklyn hundreds of community residents gathered for a community engagement forum with local political representatives, 43rd State Assembly member, Brian Cunningham and Brooklyn’s State Senator, Kevin Parker and the Chapter President of United University Professionals, Redetha Abrahams-Nichols, host for the evening’s event. The residents came together to voice their opinions on the significance of keeping Downstate Medical Hospital available to the community.

Several outbursts during the conversations and testimonies of the residents expressing their feelings on the devastation of not having Downstate Medical in place were teachable moments of how Downstate Medical is needed to help patients, whenever their health challenges come. As they went to the podium one after the other, some with teary eyes, they told their stories of when they were patients and the excellent care given to them by the medical  staff.

Others talked of first taking their children to Downstate as patients and later started working at the hospital. Some of the narratives were on how the sick child they took to the hospital for years is now in medical school. Residents talked on how they almost died from heart disease or other medical conditions that were life threatening, and how excellent the services from the medical team at Downstate were, it helped saved their lives.

The diverse group of participants, many of them not only disgruntled about the medical services benefits towards their survival but also their financial benefits. “Leave Downstate alone…I could not ask for better treatment,” patient Wayne Maddis said, as he sat in his wheelchair and questioned the situation. “Downstate must stay open. Where am I going to get health care?” he asked.

Shouts echoed throughout the room and placards raised and voices cried out calling for the hospital to remain open. Downstate Medical Hospital employee, Alithia Alleyne, during her speech said, the fight to keep the hospital open requires the support of the community. “This is a fight that will require all of us…it is important that we stand united. We need health care, and we need Downstate,” she stated. “It didn’t occur to the governor that she could speak to us?” Ms. Alleyne asked.

As the discussion became more aggressive, some residents called for the governor, and asked that she comes to the community and engage them in the discussions and the planning for the hospital. Participant and former patient of Downstate Medical Rev. Taharka Lewis’ comment was “We have to let the governor know that they cannot dislocate the community. Downstate is a part of the community. This hospital has saved our lives, the community benefits,” noted Rev. Lewis.

Medical Resident, Odelia Lewis commented on the power of having a residency program at Downstate Medical Hospital and said that it would be, “an absolute tragedy to close the hospital. We have to advocate for the hospital. Medical students need Downstate,” Ms. Lewis stated.

As exchange of words and crosstalk lingered, cries came from the floor for Senator Kevin Parker to speak and he was confronted with loud rejection from the crowd when he noted that Downstate will not be closed, but he could not satisfy the audience without a report on specifics, on what plans are in place for the hospital to remain open.

“We have to look carefully at what the essential services for community health are, we need a world class hospital,” Senator Parker said during the crosstalk. In continuing, he also noted that there has to be a discussion on the production of this transition taking place at Downstate Medical. “This engagement is wonderful,” he added.

Representative for the 43rd State Assembly District, Cunningham in his comment to the Caribbean Life newspaper noted that he is not in “agreement with the proposed plan and would like to see the community be a part of the planning.”