It's business as usual at Westchester Square Medical Center, even as the threat of closure looms in the near future.

The Berger Commission, a state health panel, recommended last fall that the hospital close. The recommendation was made as former Gov. George Pataki was trying to find cost-saving measures. However, state Sen. Jeff Klein believes cutting health care is not the answer.

Klein attended the hospital's fifth-annual health fair Wednesday, which he says highlights the important role the center plays in the community. The New York State Department of Health's recently released hospital profiles ranked the hospital as the top Bronx facility for the treatment of heart failure."We're seeing patients as we normally would. New doctors are joining our staff," Westchester Square Medical Center President and CEO Alan Kopman said.

Hospital officials have put together a plan to stay open. They will present that plan to state health officials over the summer. Meanwhile, administrators plan to keep serving Bronx residents.

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