Lower East Siders Hear Mount Sinai's Rivington House Pitch At CB3

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — In its ongoing move to the Rivington House, Mount Sinai Beth Israel representatives pitched its future behavioral health center as a "center of wellness" at a Community Board 3 committee meeting on Thursday.

But some Lower East Siders are still pushing for the massive health system to offer more to the neighborhood— particularly better health insurance coverage and, a longtime goal for some community activists, more nursing home beds.

The Rivington House — formerly a nursing home for people with dementia and a care facility for HIV/AIDS patients — has been a hotbed of scandal on the Lower East Side. The building was nearly turned into luxury condos after a deed restriction requiring the facility to be a healthcare center was lifted.

But instead of condos, Mount Sinai is expected to lease the building from Slate Property Group to relocate its behavioral health services from the Bernstein Pavilion on Stuyvesant Park to the building at 45 Rivington St.

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The center, which will also house five additional behavioral health services, could open as soon as the end of 2021.

"We're not changing the way we deliver service," said Brad Korn, community affairs director at Mt. Sinai. "We're just changing the location."

Image courtesy of Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Details of the current services offered at Bernstein and services to be provided at the new center at Rivington House.

Neighbors to Save Rivington House group has long fought to restore the building as a nursing home facility.

When it shuttered, more than 200 nursing home beds were lost.

"I do think this is a better use of our building than luxury housing," K Webster, a community activist with Neighbors to Save Rivington House who is also on CB 3, told Mt. Sinai bigwigs. "But our goal is our goal."

The reps said they were open to discussing the possibility of finding a way to help neighbors increase nursing home beds in the area, but emphasized that Mt. Sinai does not have particular expertise or licensing to operate a nursing home facility.

The CB 3 health committee held off on any formal say on the project itself — but instead focused on a broader issue, demanding Mt. Sinai expand which insurance plans it covers in a resolution passed unanimously on Thursday.

As it stands, Mt. Sinai does not accept United or Oxford health insurance plans for behavioral health services, Mt. Sinai reps told the committee.

"Something systemic has to be done," said Susan Stezter, the board's district manager, adding the new center does no good if it doesn't accept insurance companies that many in the neighborhood use.

Even Mt. Sinai's reps acknowledged the issue — but brought up a legal battle against United, in which a judge ruled Tuesday that the insurer discriminated against patients seeking mental health services.

“As one of the city’s largest providers of mental health services, we take the care and wellbeing of all our patients extremely seriously," said Mt. Sinai spokesperson Loren Riegelhaupt. "Unfortunately, some plans refuse to cover the critical mental health needs of their patients, which is unfair to both the patient and Mount Sinai. We are hopeful we can find solutions with all the insurance providers to ensure everyone has the access to the best care possible.”

The future of the Bernstein facility — where Mt. Sinai's behavioral health facilities are currently located — remains to be seen.

Earlier this month, Borough President Gale Brewer and some community members toured the Bernstein facility, where much of the services will be relocated to Rivington.

The Bernstein facility, the health system has previously said, is beyond the point of renovation.

"I don't know what you could do to make that place pleasant," said Shirley Fennessey, a CB 3 member who toured the facility with Brewer. "It's awful."

The facility, Fennessey said, smells like mildew and the ventilation systems are in shoddy condition too.

Instead of renovations, Mt. Sinai plans to relocate its behavioral health services.

“While New Yorkers still feel the pain of what was lost with the closing of Rivington House, I am encouraged to see Mount Sinai/Beth Israel engaging with the community regarding their planning for the space,” said Brewer. “I am looking forward to continuing to facilitate these conversations about the future of Rivington House and Bernstein Pavilion.”