Hundreds of patients and community members from throughout Brooklyn joined 1199SEIU caregivers, doctors, nurses, and elected leaders for an April 7 rally and march from Red Hook to Long Island College Hospital to keep their life-saving hospital open for care.

1199SEIU Secretary Treasurer Maria Castaneda addressed the rally. “It is unbelievable to me,” she said, “that in a growing neighborhood, in a growing borough, surrounded by new developments like the Barclays Center, that SUNY Downstate is unable to see not only the potential of LICH, but the necessity of LICH, as thousands of new residents and visitors come to this area,”

The show of force to keep LICH open follows the union’s court victory on April 1, when a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order barring any further action towards closing LICH. The order included New York State Department of Health and the state’s Health Commissioner, Nirav Shah, amongst the respondents. A court hearing is scheduled for May 2.

For more information on the campaign to keep LICH open for care, visit www.savelich.org and take a moment to tell Commissioner Shah to keep quality care and quality jobs in Brooklyn by saving LICH.