State health regulators have delayed the review of New York City Health + Hospitals’ planned takeover of the Maimonides Health system until the city completes a health equity assessment, according to Crain's New York Business.
The decision comes as H+H and Maimonides seek to finalize the planned takeover, originally thought to be completed by the spring. Community groups and members of the Maimonides board have sued to block the transaction, and last month a judge ruled that the deal must be reviewed by the state Public Health and Health Planning Council, which oversees healthcare ownership changes, the news site reported.
Maimonides is seeking to join public hospital system to improve its finances. Despite turning around its operating performance last year, hospital management said in a recent financial statement that they doubted its ability to continue operating in a year.
The Department of Health on Thursday determined that H+H must also complete a health equity impact assessment — a review required under statute to determine how certain transactions might affect access to care for underserved populations — as part of the formal approval process, according to an internal memo sent Monday by Maimonides CEO Ken Gibbs and reviewed by Crain’s. He said in the memo that Maimonides will cooperate closely with H+H to produce the assessment.
