Breaking: Maimonides Medical Center Sale Halted by Court Amid Trustee Lawsuit

By Y.M. Lowy

As previously reported on BoroPark24, the future of Maimonides Medical Center has sparked widespread concern in the community, and today the situation took a major turn. A group of Maimonides Trustees issued a press release announcing a lawsuit they filed to stop the hospital’s proposed sale to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), which would convert the independent hospital into a public facility.

The New York Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) just before the hospital’s Board of Trustees was set to vote on the sale. The order prevents any further action until a hearing is scheduled for January 8.

The merger is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $2.6 billion program to help struggling hospitals and encourage partnerships. This is why Maimonides' leadership started talks with NYC Health and Hospitals. The hospital could get up to $2.2 billion in state funding over five years, plus higher Medicaid payments. Those are the benefits the hospital has pointed to as the reason for the deal.

The lawsuit, filed by trustees including Aaron Twerski, Peter Rebenwurzel, George Weinberger, Chaim Fisher, Yehoshua Leib Fruchthandler, Marty Waisbrod, and David Spira, argues that the sale is moving too quickly and without the transparency or information needed to protect the hospital and its patients.

Trustees pointed out that HHC’s Brooklyn hospitals have a history of lower rankings in quality of care, raising concerns about what a city takeover could mean for patient services at Maimonides. They also noted that other potential partners, like Touro University and Westchester Medical Center, expressed interest in affiliating with Maimonides but were never seriously considered.

The plaintiffs emphasized that Maimonides is more than just a hospital. Built over 80 years by local residents, it has long served the community with culturally sensitive care. The trustees said turning it into a public hospital without an independent review would undermine the hospital’s legacy and its mission to serve the local population.

“We are grateful that the Court has paused this rushed attempt to sell Maimonides and convert it into a public hospital,” the trustees said in a statement. “We look forward to a thoughtful, transparent, and well-supported process that truly considers what is best for Maimonides and the patients who rely on it.”

For now, hospital operations continue as usual, and BoroPark24 will update as the legal process moves forward.