SUNY: Long Island College Hospital To Provide Walk-In Services Despite Shutdown

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The State University of New York is holding off on fully closing Long Island College Hospital while it negotiates a sale of the facility.

LICH had been set to close down Thursday morning, but SUNY said Wednesday the hospital will continue to provide walk-in emergency services "in an effort of good faith'' while a deal is finalized.

The hospital stopped accepting 911 ambulances to its emergency room last week as the first phase of the shutdown.

LICH was scheduled to fully close after a deal between SUNY and the initial top bidder, Brooklyn Health Partners, fell apart earlier this month.

SUNY said it is in talks with another bidder, but a full-service hospital is not in the plans.

A bidder offering $260 million said it would keep the emergency department and provide outpatient care including cancer treatment, office-based surgeries and dental, pediatric and geriatric services.

A deal must be completed by early June.

State officials said the hospital has been losing an "unsustainable'' $13 million a month.

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