Kingston Hospital to Close

While this probably does ultimately make sense, the loss of jobs is going to hurt everyone in this area:

Kingston Hospital would close and all hospital services would be moved to the Benedictine Hospital campus on Mary’s Avenue within the next 18 months, under a proposal Monday by HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley.

David Lundquist, president and chief executive officer of HealthAlliance, the parent company of the two hospitals, and Cynthia Lowe, the chairwoman of HealthAlliance’s Board of Directors, made the announcement Monday after a meeting with officials from the state Department of Health.

In interviews, both said the plan to keep Benedictine open is based on recommendations by physicians, members of the community, and the fact that the Mary’s Avenue campus presents more flexibility than Kingston Hospital on Broadway.

And how many jobs will we be losing? HealthAlliance isn't saying:

Lowe and Lundquist said that the decision to create a single hospital campus will mean job loss, but neither could say exactly how many positions will be eliminated. Lundquist said that the job loss numbers will not be known until a final Certificate of Need document is developed in the fall.

UIster County Executive Michael Hein said his administration would do what it can to assist.

They're not saying, but not because they don't know. They've already crunched the numbers, believe me. The real reason they're not releasing them, I think, is because it's really going to be a big hit. How big a hit? We'll have to wait and see, but I'd bet good money that it's going to be ugly.

Here's to hoping I'm wrong.

Hey, Mike? Why not ask HealthAlliance to stop being so mealy-mouthed and tell us the bad news already? Give us the real skinny.