The future of Maimonides Medical Center took a dramatic turn on Tuesday after a group of hospital trustees filed a lawsuit to stop the proposed sale of the institution to New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC). The deal would convert the long-standing independent hospital into a public facility.

Just hours before the Maimonides Board of Trustees was scheduled to vote on the sale, the New York State Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), pausing all further action until a hearing set for January 8.

The proposed merger stems from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $2.6 billion initiative aimed at helping financially struggling hospitals form new partnerships. According to hospital leadership, affiliating with NYC Health + Hospitals could bring as much as $2.2 billion in state funding over five years, along with increased Medicaid reimbursements—key reasons the administration began the discussions.

However, as previously reported by YWN, Hatzolah coordinators from Boro Park, Crown Heights, Flatbush, and Mill Basin warned that a takeover of Maimonides by NYC Health + Hospitals would not be in the best interest of the community.

The lawsuit, filed by trustees Aaron Twerski, Peter Rebenwurzel, George Weinberger, Chaim Fisher, Yehoshua Leib Fruchthandler, Marty Waisbrod, and David Spira, argues that the process is moving too quickly and without sufficient transparency to ensure the protection of patients, staff, and the hospital itself.

The trustees noted that HHC’s Brooklyn hospitals have historically received lower rankings in quality-of-care measures, raising concerns over what a transition to city control could mean for services at Maimonides. They also pointed out that other potential partners—including Touro University and Westchester Medical Center—had expressed interest in affiliating with the hospital but were not seriously considered.

In their filing, the trustees emphasized that Maimonides is a community-built institution that has served local residents for more than 80 years, offering care tailored to the diverse populations it treats. They argued that converting the hospital into a public facility without an independent review would undermine both its legacy and its mission.

“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 included with the lawsuit. “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.”

Hospital operations remain unchanged for now.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)