Opinion: Investing in New York’s Healthcare Future is a Sacred Duty

As spiritual advisors and public leaders we are called to speak to the holistic well-being of those we serve The city s future depends on continued commitment in healthcare facilities that have faithfully served New Yorkers for generations Photo by Adi Talwar Faith leaders and society advocates in New York City witness countless moments of enjoyment sorrow healing and hope within our communities Several of us spend innumerable hours in hospital waiting rooms at bedsides and in consultation with healthcare providers who have become not just partners in care but extensions of our region families In current months discussions about healthcare infrastructure in New York City have intensified We have watched with growing concern as vital healthcare institutions like Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Lower Manhattan close down At the same time SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn hangs in the balance These closures represent more than the loss of buildings They would sever sacred bonds between patients and the healthcare providers who have known them for years Consider the young mother who welcomes her first child and receives compassionate care from the same nurses who cared for her mother These relationships span generations at Lenox Hill Hospital which has been a pillar for communities across Manhattan including countless families from Harlem and East Harlem They ve created a continuity of care that transcends the clinical to become deeply personal These are not merely professional interactions they are sacred bonds of trust formed during life s greater part vulnerable moments Similarly our older neighbors find comfort in receiving care from physicians who have known them for decades doctors who understand not just their anatomical histories but their personal stories For our aging population throughout the city these relationships provide more than medicinal benefits they offer dignity respect and the comfort of familiarity during uncertain times As spiritual advisors and society leaders we are called to speak to the holistic well-being of those we serve The city s future depends on continued venture in healthcare facilities that have faithfully served New Yorkers for generations The institutions that anchor our neighborhoods several over a century old cannot serve st-century demands with facilities built for earlier eras but the answer cannot be their elimination Modernization is not merely advisable it is essential Research shows that hospital closures devastate neighborhoods disrupt critical provider-patient relationships and overwhelm nearby facilities When hospitals reinvest in their facilities they are reinvesting in the fabric of our communities They are a covenant with future generations of New Yorkers promising that the exceptional care we ve come to rely upon will remain accessible for decades to come As our city s population continues to age projections suggest that nearly percent of New Yorkers will be over by so we must ensure our healthcare infrastructure meets their specialized demands Simultaneously young families establishing roots in our city deserve the best maternal and pediatric care Both ends of life s spectrum demand our attention and guidance For institutions like Lenox Hill that have faithfully served communities across Manhattan and New York City for generations modernization represents not expansion but continuation a commitment to remain steadfast in their historic mission while adapting to contemporary healthcare challenges We have seen the consequences when hospitals close their doors disrupting care for expectant mothers and leaving our seniors and neighborhoods left without accessible crisis care Faith traditions teach that how we care for the vulnerable reflects our deepest values New York s healthcare workers embody this principle daily through their dedication Our responsibility is to ensure they have the facilities instrument and support to fulfill their calling Our decisions in contemporary times about healthcare infrastructure will shape our city for generations Let us approach these choices with wisdom foresight and an unwavering commitment to preserving the exceptional care and deep society connections that have distinguished New York s healthcare system Our sacred duty extends beyond the walls of houses of worship to encompass the well-being of all New Yorkers Supporting healthcare infrastructure financing honors this obligation and secures the promise of compassionate community-centered care for generations to come Rev Dr Malcom Byrd is senior pastor for Mother AME Zion Church the oldest African American church in the state of New York Rev Dr Philip Craig M Div MBA is senior pastor of The Greater Springfield Public Church Rev Patrick H Young is senior pastor for the First Baptist Church of East Elmhurst The post Opinion Investing in New York s Healthcare Future is a Sacred Duty appeared first on City Limits