Greenberg Statement on Suit to Block City Hospital Closings

    NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC 
egal efense fund 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 * (212) 586-8397 

STATEMENT OF JACK GREENBERG, DIRECTOR-COUNSEL, 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, REGARDING SUIT TO 

BLOCK CITY HOSPITAL CLOSINGS 

For immediate release: For further information: 

Wednesday, August 15, 1979 Beth Lief or Peter Sherwood 

(212) 586-8397 
David Bryan 
(212) 247<1515 

The announced plan of the City Administration to close four munici- 

pal hospitals in New York City violates federal due process and civil 

rights law, state and local health planning laws and various provisions 

of the State Constitution and the City Charter. We do not question the 

need of the City to contain health care costs or to work to reduce 

excess hospital beds. However, both law and decency require that hos- 

pital closings or reductions in health care services not fall with undue 

harshness and hardship on minority residents, The present plan does 

just that, It would cut services to residents of areas already under- 

served with respect to access to adequate health care, 

The City’s proposal was not, as required by law, submitted for 

review to state or local health planning agencies, Further, Title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act specifically requires that before cutbacks or 

changes can occur in any federally-assisted health care programs, a 

civil rights assessment must be made. This has not been done, 

The New York State legislature has mandated, through the creation 

of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, a system to provide high quality, 

-more- 

Contributions are deductible for U.S. income tax purposes 
The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATIONAL FUND is not part of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People although it 

was founded by it and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF has had for over 20 years a separate Board, program, staff, office and budget. 



hospital closings - 2 

comprehensive health care for residents, particularly those who can 

"least afford" it. In New York City these persons tend to be over- 

whelmingly black and Hispanic. 

Presently, seventy percent of the patients who receive in-patient 

health care in the City's 13 municipal hospitals are minorities. The 

proposed closings would result in a significant reduction in their 

access to quality health care. This suit would bar the City and State 

from approving or implementing any plan that would further reduce health 

care services to those most in need of them and would require that any 

illegal reductions be reinstated, 

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