Make New York Post a Preferred Source Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman opposes the Gov. Kathy Hochul-backed New York City takeover of Brooklyn’s financially ailing Maimonides hospital.
The New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) recently approved the proposal to make Maimonides Health part of the city’s public hospital system — NYC Health + Hospitals.
Last fall, Hochul announced a $2.2 billion grant available for Maimonides to join Health + Hospitals, a massive subsidy intended to meet payroll and keep the lights on during the transition.
But Blakeman said Maimonides in Borough Park — named after the famous Jewish philosopher and physician – — should remain a privately-run hospital and not be turned over to the city’s government-run hospital system.
“Kathy Hochul — against the wishes of the local Boro Park community — is leading a state takeover of Maimonides Medical Center, a world-class private teaching hospital with over a century of service,” Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive said.
“My wife was also born at Maimonides, making this hospital for especially meaningful to our family. The Governor’s refusal to listen to the community will lead to inferior healthcare for the residents who have relied on the hospital decades.”
He vowed, “When I am elected Governor I will stop this takeover and return the hospital to the top notch facility it has always been,” Blakeman said.
During a recent visit to the White House, rabbis from Borough Park told the president’s domestic advisors they didn’t want the city to take over Maimonides, according to a source.
Maimonides has a long history of serving the Orthodox Jewish community in southern Brooklyn, particularly Borough Park, with many residents born there. It has a kosher kitchen.
However, it is considered a financially distressed hospital with a large caseload of Medicaid or lower-income patients.
Many other residents from growing Asian and Hispanic communities also rely on Maimonides.
The debate over the hospital’s leadership and future has raged for years as its financial condition worsened.
The financial trouble has been going on for years.
Neighborhood opponents don’t trust the government to run the hospital, fearing services will worsen—a claim that has been rebutted by Health+Hospitals president and CEO Mitchell Katz during a recent public hearing.
“NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to preserving Maimonides’ historic cultural identity and practices and to keeping these values intact as we move forward together. We want Maimonides to remain Maimonides,” Katz said.
Opponents have also filed litigation to stop the takeover.
The planned merger was announced by former Mayor Eric Adams during the final days of his tenure.
The state attorney general or the courts have to give final approval to transfer Maimonides’ assets to Health+Hospitals, sources said.
Hochul defended her support of the Maimonides-Health+Hospitals merger.
Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
“Governor Hochul is committed to saving Maimonides, which is why she directed billions of dollars in support for them while their Board found a partner who could provide a sustainable path forward,” a Hochul spokesperson said.
“Following the standard regulatory review process and direct engagement with the community, New York City Health and Hospitals has agreed to become the operator of Maimonides Medical Center and Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital. This transaction, which was the best and only way to stabilize Maimonides, will help protect access to essential health care in Brooklyn by strengthening the hospital’s long-term financial stability, supporting critical investments in its facilities and technology, and providing additional resources to sustain and improve patient care.”
Hochul’s office also insisted that the merger with the city public health system is not a “takeover.”
