Tag Archives: Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Woman last seen at Beth Israel after making suicidal statements: Cops

Oct11 Victoria Chavez

Victoria Chavez

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a woman who they say had made suicidal statements and then disappeared from Mount Sinai Beth Israel, where she was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

Victoria Chavez, 26, a resident of Brooklyn, was last seen on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. leaving the hospital located at 281 First Avenue across from Stuyvesant Town. Police said she left on her own accord.

She is described as being approximately 5’4″ tall, weighing 125 lbs., with a thin build, brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing a white dress and gray socks.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at http://www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

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Upcoming L train work announced, bigger ferries coming before shutdown

Part of the L train construction site on 14th Street at Avenue A (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

From constant noise to the chaotic construction scene that has effectively hidden a number of local storefronts, the ongoing L train preliminary construction work to the upcoming shutdown has been the primary concern for many fed up residents of Stuyvesant Town.

The issue was among several brought up at a meeting held by the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association on Saturday afternoon at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

At the meeting, attended by local elected officials and around 125 tenants, State Senator Brad Hoylman brought up a few updates to the work schedule that were only shared with his office a day earlier.

“They absolutely have to do a better job of communicating with us,” he told the crowd about the memo. “There needs to be an individual in charge and they need to have an email address on the construction site.”

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Eleven-story building planned at former site of Beth Israel Karpas Center

Sept20 Karpas demolished

CIM group is the owner of the First Avenue property, which previously housed four small buildings. (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm CIM Group appears to be moving along with its plans for the property that used to be the Beth Israel Karpas Health Information Center.

The four small adjoining buildings on First Avenue and 18th Street across from Stuyvesant Town have finally been demolished after undergoing a lengthy asbestos abatement treatment.

Additionally, CIM Group has filed an application with the Department of Buildings to be an eleven-story residential building with some retail space. According to the filing, it will have 48,374 square feet of residential use and 6,966 of commercial (with a total 55,340). Continue reading →

Police Watch: Arrests made for Kips Bay robbery, office burglaries

TEEN CHARGED WITH ROBBERIES IN KIPS BAY
Police arrested 18-year-old Amias Bettis and another teenager for an alleged robbery in front of 344 East 28th Street on Tuesday, September 11 at 1:49 a.m. A taxi driver told police that he saw Bettis and the other teen pulling on car door handles and when they got to his cab, he confronted him about it. In response, Bettis allegedly raised his hand in a fist, thrusting it at the driver. The name of the other teen is being withheld because of his young age.

Bettis was later charged at the precinct for additional robberies earlier this month.

Police said that Bettis and 30-year-old Kimberly McNulty stole a credit card while they were inside the apartment of a relative of McNulty in Stuyvesant Town at 271 Avenue C on Monday, September 10 at 1:30 a.m. McNulty was arrested inside the precinct on Thursday, September 13 at 10 a.m. and charged with robbery and possession of stolen property.

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Man found dead on train at Union Square

Union Square (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

A man was found dead on a train at the Union Square subway station after walking between train cars on Sunday night, police said.

The 33-year-old man, whose name has not been released, had gotten between the cars as the southbound 4 train left the 42nd Street station, but fell as the train approached 14th Street.

When police arrived at Union Square at around 10:30 p.m., the man was found inside the train, unconscious with trauma to his head. Emergency service workers took him to Mount Sinai Beth Israel, but doctors were unable to save him.

The Medical Examiner will determine the manner and cause of death and police said no criminality is suspected at this time.

Police Watch: Naked man arrested for trespassing, Man busted for sex abuse at spa

NAKED MAN ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING
Police arrested 35-year-old Kevin King for alleged criminal trespass inside 156 West 15th Street on Monday, September 3 at 11:57 a.m. A woman told police that she saw a naked man on the fire escape of the building entering through a broken window. Police said that King, a Queens resident, was found inside the building without permission to be there and he was allegedly inside one of the apartments with the door locked.

MAN BUSTED FOR SEX ABUSE AT SPA
Police arrested 47-year-old Pei Tian for the alleged sexual abuse of a male customer inside Living Fresh Men’s Spa at 44 East 22nd Street on Saturday, September 8 at 2:44 p.m. Police said that Tian removed the towel from the victim during a massage and used his hands to intentionally touch the victim’s buttocks and genitals without permission. The victim said that he felt uncomfortable and left the room after the incident.

SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT IN UNION SQUARE
Police arrested 29-year-old Gerald Mosley for alleged assault in front of 4 Union Square East on Monday, September 3 around 2:46 p.m. Police said that Mosley approached a man who was walking down the street and punched him in his arm, causing pain. He also allegedly knocked the victim’s phone out of his hand, knocking it to the ground and causing the screen to the crack. A woman also told police that Mosley allegedly punched her in the ribs, causing pain. Mosley was also charged with criminal mischief.

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Asbestos cleanup underway at future home to Beth Israel

future beth israel

Eye & Ear Infirmary as seen from Second Avenue (Photos by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

During a day of picketing by unionized nurses and other employees of Beth Israel last month, one longtime employee told us that demolition of the site that is to become the future, smaller hospital has been delayed thanks to asbestos. In response, she said, employees who are awaiting the renewal of their contracts in September, have been told they may need to stick around longer than planned at the First Avenue flagship building, which is slowly being emptied of different departments.

Asked about this, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai confirmed the presence of asbestos at the future hospital, which will be located where there is currently another of the network’s hospitals, New York Eye & Ear Infirmary’s residential building, on East 13th Street and Second Avenue. However, she indicated the project is moving on schedule.

“The scheduled demolition and abatement of this building continues as planned and is projected to be completed this fall,” said Lucia Lee. “Our architects, designers and construction firms have been hired and working diligently on the planning. Once the demo is completed we will begin the first construction phase of the new building, pending approvals, including the Certificate of Need (CON). In the meantime, the current Beth Israel hospital remains open and fully accessible to the community and will remain so until the new hospital is opened.”

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MSBI nurses protest to keep pensions intact

July19 Beth Israel nurses First Ave2

Nurses and other 1199SEIU employees outside Mount Sinai Beth Israel on First Avenue (Photos by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

As Mount Sinai continues its downsizing of Beth Israel’s facilities in preparation for a new hospital to eventually open on Second Avenue, nurses and other employees within the union 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have been bracing for possible cuts to their benefits.

On Thursday, July 12, union members picketed outside hospitals throughout the city that have employees from 1199SEIU, including Beth Israel on First Avenue and 16th Street and Mount Sinai Downtown in Union Square, formerly Beth Israel’s Phillips Ambulatory Care Center.

At each facility, over a dozen nurses and other union employees marched or stood outside while chanting and holding signs starting shortly before noon.

“Up with the union, down with the bosses!” and “union busting is disgusting” were a couple of the chants shouted from behind a barricade on First Avenue.

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Police Watch: Teens arrested for slashing on Lexington Avenue

TEENS ARRESTED FOR SLASHING ON LEX
Police arrested a 13-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy for an alleged robbery and assault that took place at East 24th Street and Lexington Avenue on June 30 around 1 a.m. The victim told police that he and a friend got into an argument with the two suspects after leaving a bar near the intersection.
The argument escalated into a physical fight but the victim said that he and a friend tried to leave by getting into a taxi. Police said that the girl then jumped in front of the taxi to get the driver to stop, then leaned in through an open window and slashed one of the men with a razor, causing an injury. No further information was available about the victim’s condition.
The boy was arrested at the 13th Precinct on July 5 and the girl was arrested last Thursday, July 12, the latter charged with assault. Both teens were also arrested for robbery although nothing was taken from the victims during the incident.

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Police Watch: Man wanted for Dunkin Donuts robbery, Man arrested for CVS robbery

MAN WANTED FOR DUNKIN DONUTS ROBBERY
Police are looking for a man involved in a robbery at a Chelsea Dunkin Donuts at the end of May. The suspect reportedly threatened a 20-year-old employee inside the 225 Seventh Avenue location on Monday, May 28 at 3:45 p.m. and demanded the contents of the register. Police said that he got away with approximately $500 and fled east on West 23rd Street. No injuries were reported.
The suspect is described as a black man in his 40s-50s who was last seen wearing all dark clothing. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls are strictly confidential.

MAN NABBED FOR CVS ROBBERY
Police arrested 58-year-old Joseph Green for robbery on June 9 at 3:30 p.m. inside the 13th precinct. Green was allegedly shoplifting in the CVS at 300 Park Avenue South on May 27 at 4:25 p.m. when he got into a fight with an employee while leaving the store. Police said that Green was attempting to steal deodorant.

FOOD VENDORS ACCUSED OF ASSAULT
Police arrested 49-year-old Reda Badawy and 20-year-old Karim Badawy for assault at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 21st Street on Saturday, June 9 at 8:08 p.m. Police said that the two suspects, food vendors, intentionally pushed a food cart into her body, causing pain to her back and neck.

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Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association celebrating 50th anniversary

Stuyvesant Square Park these days is sitting pretty, in no small part due to the work of the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association. (Photos by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

When the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association was formed half a century ago, it began as many civic organizations do — as a response to a perceived threat to the community that the residents were willing to fight. In this case, the interloper was Beth Israel, which was expanding its footprint at the time, buying up brownstones in the Stuyvesant Square neighborhood to raze and turn into larger buildings.

Rosalee Isaly, the president of the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association, who’s been involved in the group’s efforts since 1970, said neighbors were concerned about the expansion impacting their quality of life, especially when the hospital received a federal grant to turn an empty lot at the corner of Second Avenue and 17th Street to build a 40-story building to house its staff. The group, initially just three couples (including husbands who worked as attorneys), fought this tooth and nail.

Eventually that street corner became home to the significantly smaller Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Beth Israel built the 24-story Gilman Hall on First Avenue across from Stuyvesant Town to house its residents. (Gilman has since been emptied and sold to a California-based developer as part of the hospital’s downsizing plan.)

As for the three couples from Stuyvesant Square who made up the founding members of the SPNA, they were John and Mary Tommaney, Adrian and Marisa Zorgniotti and James and Carvel Moore. Isaly, who now owns and manages a couple of local properties and is also an artist, joined the SPNA upon moving to the neighborhood when she was a newlywed. She’s lived there since then with the exception of a few years in the 1970s when she and her family lived in Paris.

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Police Watch: Man arrested for First Ave. assault, Officer assault at Beth Israel

MAN ARRESTED FOR FIRST AVENUE ASSAULT
Police arrested 42-year-old Wesley Walker for an alleged assault in front of 390 First Avenue on Saturday, May 19 at 8:26 a.m. Police said that the 43-year-old victim was walking down the street when Walker, who he didn’t know, approached him and started punching him in the face. Police said that the victim complained of pain to his face and was also bleeding from the back of his head.

OFFICER ASSAULTED AT MOUNT SINAI BETH ISRAEL
Police arrested 39-year-old Jason Marshall for the alleged assault of a peace officer in front of Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital on Monday, May 14 at 3:58 a.m. Police said that an EMS worker was transporting Marshall to the hospital and when they arrived, Marshall requested a wheelchair but one was not available. Police said that Marshall became irate and allegedly punched the EMS worker in the chest.

BOY BUSTED FOR ASSAULT AT WASHINGTON IRVING
Police arrested a teenager for assault and possession of marijuana inside the Washington Irving Campus at 40 Irving Place on Monday, May 14 at 1:24 p.m. The victim told police that she and the suspect got into an argument over the phone the day before, which later led to the suspect posting on social media that the victim was a hoe. The victim said that she and a friend also posted about the suspect and said that she and a friend were going to get beat up. She told police that on Monday, May 14, she didn’t talk to the suspect but later in the day, he walked up to her and punched her in the face, causing a cut on her forehead. The victim was brought to Bellevue Hospital and when the suspect was searched, police found that he was in possession of marijuana. The teen’s name is being withheld due to his young age.

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When a Stuyvesant Square hospital was run entirely by women doctors

The Infirmary for Women and Children prior to a move to a nearby building in Stuyvesant Square (Photo from hospital archives, courtesy of New York Presbyterian)

By Sabina Mollot

Nearly seven decades before Mount Sinai Beth Israel began the process of transitioning to a new, smaller hospital facility, another neighborhood hospital was also planning a move — but this place was unique in that it was staffed entirely by women doctors.

That hospital was the New York Infirmary, which had first opened its doors on May 12, 1857 as the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. It was founded by the English-born Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to become a doctor in the United States. Its mission, along with healing the city’s sick and poor, was also to educate women to become medical professionals. Its first location was in a house in Greenwich Village, though it moved to Stuyvesant Square in 1858 when it outgrew that space.

There it remained for 90 years, but not long after the nearby apartment complexes of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village were built, the hospital once again needed more space. It had been operating out of several antiquated buildings with an address of 321 East 15th Street.

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Former Beth Israel doctor charged with sexually assaulting patients

Former Mount Sinai Beth Israel Chief of Palliative Care Division Ricardo Cruciani

By Sabina Mollot

A former high-ranking doctor at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, who recently pleaded guilty to committing numerous sexual assaults of female patients at another hospital he worked at, is now facing charges of assaulting six other patients at Beth Israel.

The allegations include rape, forceful kissing and groping during the time Ricardo Cruciani, now 63, served as Beth Israel’s Chief of the Palliative Care Division. He was employed at the hospital from 2002-2014.

At that time, he was responsible for administering treatment to patients afflicted with chronic and debilitating pain disorders that are hard to find treatment for.

After leaving Beth Israel, Cruciani worked at Capital Health Medical Center in New Jersey and later Pennsylvania’s Drexel University neurology department.

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Former Beth Israel Karpas Center will be demolished

311 First Avenue was included in last year’s sale of Gilman Hall to the CIM Group. (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

The building that used to house Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Karpas Health Information Center has been sold and will soon be demolished.

The new owner filed an application to demolish the four-story property at 311 First Avenue and 18th Street, last October, and scaffolding now surrounds the property. There is not yet an application for new development although the razing of the building, which also has nine residential units, was said to be in preparation for an unspecified “plan.”

CIM Group, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment group and private equity firm, through an LLC called 305 First Avenue (NY), bought the property last March for $27.5 million from Mount Sinai, according to Acris records.

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