NEW YORK CITY-The State University of New York Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan on Tuesday geared at shoring up the finances at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

The plan that must be submitted to the New York State Department of Health and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office by Saturday, would establish a network of Brooklyn-based health care providers. The proposal also calls for SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn's only academic hospital, handing one of its three facilities, Long Island College Hospital, to a new operator or closing it and laying off staff at University Hospital of Brooklyn, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"We're going to try to build something a little bit bigger than hopefully what we can sustain on our own," says Lora Lefebvre, associate vice chancellor for health affairs at SUNY. "If we get into partnerships with four other hospitals, everybody won't have to do stroke treatment. There are opportunities to downsize the service lines, with us all seeing a financial interest in working together."

SUNY Downstate hospitals lost nearly $276 million in 2011 and were expected to lose more than $200 million last year, according to an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. See story in the Wall Street Journal.

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Plan to Impact SUNY Downstate Medical Center

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