To save cash-strapped SUNY Downstate, advisory board recommends expanding services with massive state investment

The SUNY Downstate Community Advisory Board has proposed a plan to keep the at-risk hospital open with the help of a $1 billion investment from the state.

The nine-member board has spent six months analyzing the hospital’s finances, programs, capital needs, and the healthcare needs of its community, according to the governor’s office, and created a plan that would “modernize” the facility while preserving and expanding its inpatient and outpatient services.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is looking forward to “thoroughly reviewing” the proposal.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she will be “thoroughly reviewing” the proposal. Photo courtesy of Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

“Central Brooklyn deserves world-class health care, and with this historic $1 billion investment, we’re securing a brighter, healthier future for SUNY Downstate and the communities it serves,” Hochul said. “This plan was shaped by the voices of those who know and rely on Downstate — community members, faculty and staff — and their input was critical to getting this right.”

The board’s proposal prioritized increasing quality of care, creating accountability, and attracting patients, according to a project summary .

It recommends maintaining all of the hospital’s current services, including its “valued and unique” kidney transplant program and neonatal intensive care unit; as well as expanding the emergency department and building a new hospital “annex” on a state-owned parcel on Lenox Road.

The annex would be home to new cardiology and oncology services, as cancer and heart disease are leading causes of death in Brooklyn.

The board also proposed making all of the hospital’s rooms private, rather than shared — cutting down the number of available beds from 324 to 225, but hopefully increasing the daily patient census, which currently sits at 165.

It also called for significant infrastructure work, including upgrading plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. According to the summary, the hospital’s aging systems have led to issues like flooding, temperature control issues, and emergency system shutdowns.

“After six months of working with the DCAB members, I believe these recommendations truly reflect our commitment to listening to the community,” said Dr. Enzita George, chair of the SUNY Downstate Chair of the Department of Community and Family Health, in a statement. “We carefully considered what’s needed and balanced it with what’s possible given the current funding.”

A rendering of the proposed SUNY Downstate annex. Screenshot courtesy of Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

The $1 billion in funding includes $750 million allocated in the state’s FY2025-25 and FY2025-26 budgets, as well as $50 million to be allocated by SUNY every year for the next seven years.

According to the governor’s office, the advisory board engaged consulting company Deloitte to assess the “reasonableness of the financial modeling” and figure out how to reduce the hospital’s operating deficit.

Local elected officials praised the proposal, though it has yet to be fully assessed and approved.

“Knowing that this funding will restore full inpatient and outpatient care over 200 beds is a massive achievement in our fight to save this institution,” said Council Member Farah Louis, in a statement. “As our community continues to advocate for a transformative and responsive investment, I am proud that our concerns were heard to bring modernized facilities and high-quality services to the working-class families of Central Brooklyn. Governor Hochul listened to the needs of our neighborhoods and I look forward to the strengthening of this essential institution.”

SUNY Downstate’s financial struggles

Last year, Hochul ordered SUNY to create a “transformative” plan to keep SUNY Downstate above water. After years of underfunding, the hospital was running a $100 million annual deficit and was in need of billions of dollars in repairs.

But healthcare officials warned that the plan would probably force the hospital to close, leaving hundreds of low-income patients without access to affordable healthcare while slashing jobs and positions for student doctors.

After months of protest , Hochul changed her tune — promising to provide some funding for the hospital and to create the Community Advisory Board to assess the hospital’s finances and propose a plan to keep it viable long-term.

Healthcare workers protested against the original plan to close SUNY Downstate in 2024. File photo by Isabel Beer

“Eighteen months ago, the future of Brooklyn’s SUNY Downstate University Hospital was murky and its prospects bleak,” said red Kowal, president of the United University Professions, which represents more than 1,000 SUNY Downstate employees. “But the community and labor came together and now we have more than $1 billion in capital funding that will be used to renovate the hospital and enhance its inpatient services.”

Kowal said UUP will continue to work with Hochul to “quickly resolve outstanding labor protection issues.”

“SUNY Downstate has long served as a cornerstone of care for Brooklynites — and as a result of Governor Hochul’s leadership and investment, it will continue to do so long into the future,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “Thank you to Governor Hochul, to the advisory board, and to every community member who contributed to this proposal that will ensure a strong and sustainable SUNY Downstate hospital for the communities we are proud to serve.”