A Hospital in Harlem Is Studying Its Future

clipped from www.nytimes.com A Hospital in Harlem Is Studying Its Future By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS Thirty years ago, it was the great hope for the future of health care in Harlem, a new private hospital, opened at a time when public hospitals were seen as failing. Harlem’s civic, political and religious leaders fought, often successfully, to get more money and more state subsidies to keep it going. But in a time of economic malaise, the hospital, North General, at Madison Avenue and 122nd Street, may finally be on its deathbed, industry officials say. Its closing could be a boon for Mount Sinai, St. Luke’s and New York-Presbyterian, other hospitals on the borders of Harlem. Although North General serves a large number of poor and uninsured patients, it is also perceived as a destination for middle-class Harlem residents. Colin Moynihan contributed reporting.