The coming days may be particularly important to demonstrate, to city council, support for keeping Lakewood Hospital open. Messages to members David Anderson (ward 1), Sam O’Leary (ward 2) and Cindy Marx (at large) are especially encouraged.
Save Lakewood Hospital president Marguerite Harkness has recently offered these comments to city council:
Hello Councilpersons,
The highest and best use of the hospital site is a fully-functioning inpatient hospital, with expanded outpatient facilities and services. (This includes the professional building, the south garage, and the auxiliary health building.)
Please keep in mind:
- Lakewood’s population is declining moderately; we don’t need more housing.
- Lakewood has loads of empty storefronts; we don’t need more retail space.
- Lakewood restaurants are coming . . . and GOING; we don’t need more bars and restaurants.
- Lakewood Center North is half empty; we don’t need more office space.
Fairview Hospital is JAMMED with Lakewood residents being sent there for medical services; what we NEED in Lakewood is a fully-functioning inpatient hospital.
And if we lose the 1100 jobs (over 1600 W-2’s which means actual people), we REALLY won’t need more housing, more retail space, more bars, or more office space.
Please know that physicians are eyeing our situation, and our efforts to preserve and create a fully-functioning hospital with independent physicians who can practice medicine and take care of their patients, HERE, in Lakewood.
They KNOW we will succeed, and they are actually making bold financial decisions that will be part of the solution that saves and expands our hospital.
There are over 1,000 independent physicians from Brooklyn to Rocky River, in about a dozen practices. There is no shortage of medical staff to work here.
Thank you,
