Peninsula Hospital has temporarily halted its emergency care services after state health officials declared the hospital’s lab to be “a danger and threat” to patients.
The Department of Health (DOH) ordered the suspension of the Far Rockaway facility for a period of 30 days after it failed inspections on February 23. Patients can still be treated at the embattled facility, so long as no blood work is required, officials said.
However, a second state mandate ordered the hospital to stop admitting new patients and cancel all surgeries and procedures. The issue also forces Peninsula to suspend any activities that depend upon laboratory services while a plan to transfer inpatients to other facilities is developed.
“Putting patient safety at risk is outrageous and unacceptable,” said Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder. “Our hospitals and health care facilities must be held to the highest standard to protect the health and safety of our families.”
Liz Sulik, a spokesperson for Peninsula, said the hospital is fully cooperating with the DOH and is currently developing a plan to transfer current inpatients to alternate facilities. So far, 78 patients have been transferred, officials said, though where they were taken was not specified.
Sulik said Peninsula is “expeditiously developing a plan to remedy the laboratory deficiencies and hopes to restore full services as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Goldfeder said he will work with colleagues and the communities of southern Queens and the Rockaways to ensure the medical and health care needs of the neighborhood are met in the interim.
Peninsula’s board of directors met during an emergency court hearing on February 27. However, hospital officials did not comment on results of the meeting in time for press.
Check with qns.com for updates as this story develops.
