Aug 1, 2013 1 min read 2201 neptune ave

Lisyanskiy Wants Reopening Of Coney Health Center Destroyed In Sandy

John Lisyanskiy, a candidate for the City Council seat in Coney Island, said he fought against establishing a gambling casino in that community. Photo courtesy The Advance Group — Source: Lisyanskiy campaign

It has been over eight months since Superstorm Sandy knocked the Ida G. Israel Community Health Center out of commission and the facility still isn’t operational yet. According to a press release, City Council candidate John Lisyanskiy is pushing the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to reopen the facility.

We previously reported that the HHC delayed rebuilding the health center due to its location. The HHC declared that rebuilding the center at 2201 Neptune Avenue was pointless due to its close proximity to the water and the low ground it occupies, making it a vulnerable target should a future storm blow through.

“We want to make sure this clinic stands the test of time, since it’s such a valuable resource to the community,” Dr. John Maese, medical director of Coney Island Hospital, said back in January.

A lot of time has passed since January and Ida G. Israel Community Health Center is still not open, outraging Lisyanskiy.

“The Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) failure to reconstruct this facility is outrageous. This failure leaves over 40,000 people at risk because they are without a local health center. Our community’s children and elderly residents need regular care. While the timetable to rebuild is uncertain, what is certain however is that we cannot let HHC leave our neighbors, family and friends without a solution for 12 months,” Lisyanskiy said in the release.

The candidate vowed to make his fight to reopen the health center a priority if elected.

“I pledge to continue to fight HHC’s current timetable and work with our local officials to make this happen, so our community is provided the basic services we rely on the Health Center for. We must rebuild immediately, safely and in our community where our neighbors can access help quickly. There are few things more important than safety and security of our residents; access to healthcare is one of them. I urge the Mayor to prioritize the recently approved Super Storm Sandy federal funding so that we can adequately address the most pressing needs in our communities,” Lisyanskiy said.