APRIL 2018
A NEWSLETTER FOR NYSNA RNs AT NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS
Nurses from Queens, Elmhurst and Bellevue Hospitals speak out at NYC H+H Annual Meetings about the need for safe staffing
Major Staffing Gains at NYC H+H! Due to the persistent efforts of NYSNA members and leaders, NYC Health + Hospitals has substantially increased the hiring of staff nurses. More than 200 new RNs have been hired over the last few weeks alone. These nurses will help us to deliver the quality of care that our patients deserve, relieve the threat to our licenses that constant short staffing poses, and help add to our power in the struggle for quality care for all. Several hospitals in the NYC H+H system have been running Protest of Assignment (POA) campaigns to demonstrate the persistent shortages in some units, and to make the case for hiring new nurses. Nurses have also become more active in advocating for safe staffing outside of our facilities. We know that our public hospital system hasn’t always been a revered part of NYC’s infrastructure. Under Mayor Bloomberg, we saw persistent efforts to eliminate and privatize NYC H+H’s services. That’s one of the reasons NYSNA nurses stood behind Bill de Blasio’s candidacy for Mayor in 2013 and his re-election in 2017—his strong belief in our public hospital system and his best efforts to make the system financially sustainable. We are seeing our support pay off. The Mayor just released the City budget, which provides NYC Health + Hospitals with $905 million in funding, an 18% increase from last year. It also provides $772 million to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, an increase
of nearly $90 million from last year. We are pleased that the City budget includes an increase in funding for NYC H+H, and we are also pleased with Mayor de Blasio’s selection of Dr. Mitchell Katz as the new President and CEO of the NYC Health + Hospitals system. Dr. Katz has said he will not follow in the footsteps of previous leaders who have tried to slash staff and services in order to make NYC H+H more profitable. “So far, there’s a good response downtown,” said Verginia Stewart, RN, Metropolitan Hospital and NYSNA Board Member. “They are following through on what Dr. Katz has told us—that H+H’s focus should be on hiring direct care workers—doctors, nurses and social workers. They can make cuts to administrative staff, but we need to hire more nurses.” NYC H+H is an essential element of New York City’s healthcare system, delivering high-quality care to more than one million patients every year, and providing a safety net for New Yorkers who are uninsured, undocumented, and otherwise would not be able to access healthcare. The health of New York City depends on NYC H+H—and it depends on having enough nurses.
I Am Proud to Stand with the Men and Women in Our Hospitals and Support Safe Staffing Levels that Ensure the Highest Quality of Care” —Governor Andrew Cuomo issuing a directive to the state Department of Labor on April 15th to support safe staffing in New York’s hospitals.