Rally in the rain for psych ward

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On an overcast, rainy afternoon, several dozen health care professionals in red ponchos gathered with signs written in red ink outside Allen Hospital just south of Marble Hill. 

The New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, which the Allen Hospital is a part of, plans to cut 30 inpatient beds in the hospital’s psychiatric ward. That attracted a number of protesters, including city comptroller Scott Stringer, who stressed the importance of keeping those beds open as they are a critical lifeline for the mentally ill. 

By the end of the rally, there was a small ray of hope. Anthony Ciampa, a vice president of the New York State Nurses Association, shared the pending closure of those beds was pushed back a year to Summer 2019.

Allen Hospital, New York-Presbyterian, Scott Stringer, Julius Constantine Motal

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