Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon's 'Local Input in Community Healthcare (LICH) Act' has successfully passed the Assembly, promoting mandatory public notice before any hospital closure. Specifically, it focuses on units providing maternity, mental health, and substance use care. The legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Gustavo Rivera, emerges from the 2014 closure of Brooklyn's Long Island College Hospital. Simon emphasizes that the act prioritizes transparency and community inclusion in crucial healthcare decisions, aiming to prevent communities from being caught off-guard by closures.
"Too often, communities are the last to know when a hospital or maternity unit is about to close, leaving patients, families, and local leaders scrambling to respond."
"The LICH Act changes that by making transparency and community engagement a requirement, not just an afterthought."
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