New York City is renaming its public hospital in Coney Island in honor of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Brooklyn native, officials announced Friday.
Bader Ginsburg, a pioneer for women’s rights, died last September at the age of 87.
The outspoken octogenarian unexpectedly earned a cult following during her 25 years on the nation’s highest court — and the nickname “Notorious R.B.G.” for her scathing dissenting opinions.
NYC Health + Hospitals is currently renovating the Coney Island hospital complex, which will be completed next year, after it suffered massage damage following Superstorm Sandy.
The new health care complex will be renamed NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health serving 875,000 residents in south Brooklyn.
The new 11-story hospital building and the existing building within the renovated campus will be jointly named “Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital.”
The renaming will take effect in the summer of 2022.
The Brooklyn Municipal Building is also being named in honor of Bader Ginsburg and there is a three-story mural dedicated to her in the East Village.
The redesigned campus will have a new elevated emergency department and cutting edge operating rooms including robotic surgery and single inpatient beds.
Located in a flood zone, the complex will include a new wall and entrances from Ocean Parkway to protect from flooding.
The $922.7 million renovation is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to demolish, replace and repair flood-damaged buildings from Superstorm Sandy.
“Investing in public health is critical for our recovery,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“NYC Health + Hospitals has been on the frontlines of the pandemic, serving all New Yorkers regardless of income or immigration status. I’m thrilled to see this state-of-the-art facility opening in South Brooklyn as we build a recovery for all of us,” he said.”
“Even more fitting that one of its buildings is being renamed for a champion of progress and equality, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” the mayor said. “Her legacy will continue to live on in her hometown borough.”
Health + Hospitals CEO Mitchell Katz said, “We are grateful that the family of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has allowed us to honor her memory in this historic way.”
“Justice Ginsburg fought tirelessly for justice and equality, giving voices to the voiceless, and as patients walk into the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, they will do so knowing they will receive high quality health services with compassion, dignity, and respect, regardless of their income, gender identity, or immigration status.
Katz, a Coney Island native, added, “I look forward to seeing the greater health transformation in this community continue to flourish as we become more inclusive to the surrounding communities and rich diversity of all of south Brooklyn.”