NY Nurse Special Edition March 2018

New York

nurse special Edition | march 2018

the official publication of the new york state nurses association

Staten Island fights the good fight Notification of delegate elections, p. 8

2

New York Nurse special edition / March 2018

Strong show of unity at SIUH

W

e felt the power of our unity with members and supporters at the Info Picket on February 28, when 475 joined the line, including more than 320 members! It was a record number of RNs on the line!

We care for the people of Staten Island: they are friends, neighbors and family. That’s clear to all involved.

Here is what we are seeking: We want a fair contract that promises enough nurses to do the

job: a nurse-patient ratio that adds up to the safe, quality care our patients deserve and that allows us to do our jobs.

Years of service

After a lifetime of service, our RNs ought to be able to retire with security and health. After all, we are on our feet for years...sometime decades. The lifts we must accomplish to carry out our work amounts to tons per year. That’s why healthcare workers are number one on the

list of claimants for workplace injuries in the nation.

That’s why we are seeking a retiree health plan that reflects our work and the medical care we will need in future years as a result of the hard work we have carried out in the course of our RN duties.

We are also well aware of Northwell SIUH’s discrimination against and surveillance of NYSNA bargaining committee members.

This outrageous, illegal, unfair labor practice is forming the basis of charges against the company to be brought before the National Labor Relations Board.

We will not be intimidated. Nor will our integrity be compromised.

(L-R) Asia Green, RN, and Marta Cox, RN

Advocating for patients. Advancing the profession.SM Board of Directors

(Left and above) The info picket line

President Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, MSN, FNP First Vice President Marva Wade, RN Second Vice President Anthony Ciampa, RN Secretary Anne Bové, RN, MSN, BC, CCRN, ANP Treasurer Patricia Kane, RN Directors at Large Kevin Donovan, RN Jacqueline B. Gilbert, RN Nancy Hagans, RN Tracey Kavanagh, RN, BSN Lilia V. Marquez, RN Sean Petty, RN, CPEN Nella Pineda-Marcon, RN, BC Karine M. Raymond, RN, MSN Verginia Stewart, RN Mary Ellen Warden, RN Regional Directors Southeastern Yasmine Beausejour, RN Southern Seth B. Dressekie, RN, MSN, NP Central Ethel Mathis, RN Lower Hudson/NJ Jayne Cammisa, RN, BSN Western Sarah Annabelle Chmura, RN Eastern Martha Wilcox, RN Executive Editor Jill Furillo, RN, BSN, PHN Executive Director Editorial offices located at: 131 W 33rd St., New York, NY 10001 Phone: 212-785-0157 x 159 Email: communications@nysna.org Website: www.nysna.org Subscription rate: $33 per year ISSN (Print) 1934-7588/ISSN (Online) 1934-7596 ©2018, All rights reserved

“

(Third from left) Eileen Lappin, RN

I’ve been a nurse for 28 years, 25 of which I’ve spent at SIUH. I’ve dedicated my life to caring for others here at SIUH and I truly love what I do. As I’ll be retiring in the not too distant future, retiree health benefits for me are crucial. After a lifetime of service in this hospital, caring for members of my community, it is mind boggling that we do not currently have this benefit.

That is what I’m fighting for. We are united and we’re ready for this fight.”

– Eileen Lappin, RN

NEW YORK NURSE special edition / March 2018

“

I’ve been working at SIUH since 2004. Through the years, administration has implemented more and more daily tasks but has provided little in terms of the amount of lives we are responsible for in one shift. It’s becoming harder and harder to do the things expected of us with the amount of patients we take care of. I became a nurse to help people, and hopefully make a difference while they are in my care. Being able to do that has become close to impossible. We spend the majority of our time behind a computer, drawing our own labs because there’s no phlebotomists, ambulating patients because there is not enough ancillary staff, and the list goes on. Our patients are suffering because of it.

We need reasonable nurseto-patient ratios now in order to safely, adequately and appropriately do the job we love!”

–Jaime Lynn Macari, RN

3

Jaime Lynn Macari, RN

(L-R) Arianna Freyre, RN, and Kevin Lee, RN

“

We need a contract with safe staffing ratios above all else so we can provide the best care to our community. We also need to know that we will be taken care of when we retire.

These two important things should not be so difficult for Northwell to give to its dedicated nurses.”

–Arianna Freyre, RN

On the picket line he was being called Mr. Moneybags.

4

New York Nurse special edition / March 2018

(L-R) Executive Committee RN officers Lisa Scaccia, Helene Lapolla and Dawn Cardello

(L-R) Lourdes Cerna, RN, and Donna Magrone, RN

“

We’ve been ready to settle a fair contract since well before our contract expired in Dec 2017.

Management is stonewalling and dragging the process out longer than it should. We deserve better.”

–Lourdes Cerna, RN

“

Nurses wreak havoc on their bodies during their careers as they care for patients. We stand united in the fight for retiree health benefits so we can care for ourselves in our retirement years.”

– Donna Magrone, RN

“

Nurses are dedicated to patient care. We are the heart of the hospital. We deserve medical benefits when we retire. After my diagnosis of breast cancer in 2015, I had to retire due to the side effects of my breast cancer medication.

My Cobra payments were $700 plus, and have increased to $876.00 per month at this time. As I could not afford to keep Cobra anymore, my option was to take a medical plan covered by a statewide program for cancer patients. I am unable to see my other private MDs (endo, gastrointestinal, eye, dentist) with this plan. I can only go to the clinic.

As a nurse for 25 years, is this the path for my healthcare? I deserve better. I loved being a nurse. I served my community and my employer for 25 years.

I deserve to have medical benefits and to have been able to retire with dignity!”

–Robyn Jacobs, RN

New York

nurse special edition | march 2018

the official publication of the new york state nurses association

The

Northwell $$$ profile

6

New York Nurse special edition / March 2018

N

Northwell and the corpor orthwell Health, formerly North Shore – LIJ, is New York State’s largest health system with 22 hospitals and over 550 ambulatory care centers and physician practices. They are also one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers, and the ninth largest nonprofit health system in the country. The size and scope of Northwell rivals that of for-profit health systems in the country, as does their revenue and profit margins. They have been aggressively expanding their operations all across New York State, well beyond their home base of Long Island. This is being done through targeted acquisitions of physician practices and clinics, as well as hospitals. Northwell also recently opened a medical school in cooperation with Hofstra University, and, until recently, operated a health insurance company called CareConnect.

Northwell’s footprint in New York has expanded well beyond its home base on Long Island. It has acquired a much coveted foothold in the New York City healthcare market, through mergers and partnerships with Staten Island University Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital, and Maimonides Medical Center. It has also branded a Lenox Hill location at the site of the old St. Vincent’s in the West Village of Manhattan. They have also expanded northward, acquiring the facilities in Westchester County.

These facilities include Northern Westchester Hospital, and Phelps Hospital, and additional outpatient

Northwell Hospitals

and ambulatory care facilities.

They have also announced a new affiliation with Crouse Hospital in northern New York, giving them a foothold in the greater Syracuse area’s healthcare market.

Northwell revenues

Northwell’s operational revenues are in the billions of dollars every year. In 2016, they generated nearly $10 billion in revenues, which is a 40 percent increase over Northwell’s revenues in 2013. To put the size of Northwell’s operations into perspective, they made nearly half a billion dollars in its operations outside of direct patient care, and another half billion dollars in revenues from insurance premiums (they

Northwell Revenues

announced that they are discontinuing their insurance product).

Northwell profits

With robust revenues also comes robust profits. Northwell’s profits have soared over the last four years.

In 2016 Northwell’s operational profits hit nearly $96 million. Their profits are supported by business segments that are not dedicated to direct patient care, including their supply chain operations, management services and other services that are parallel to their patient care operations. Northwell began offering their CareConnect insurance product in New York, tethered to their vast network as a source of additional revenue. Last

NEW YORK NURSE special edition / March 2018

ratization of healthcare Northwell Profits

Northwell’s

year they announced that they were discontinuing Care Connect after it suffered major financial losses in 2016. In 2013, Northwell founded a new division called Northwell Ventures, that serves as its “entrepreneurial branch” offering advisory services to other healthcare providers and IT services, while helping to identify new ancillary revenue streams.

Executive compensation

Northwell Health compensates its executives “competitively” with its competitors and for-profit counterparts. In 20151, there were four executives whose base compensation was over $1 million, including CEO Michael Dowling. SIUH Executive Director Donna Proske was reported to have made over $800,000 in salary and benefits.

CEO Dowling’s total compensation, including bonuses and other benefits, was $3.2 million.

1 Most recently available salary data

SIUH is profitable Although operational profits dipped in 2016, SIUH is still reported as profitable in Northwell Health financial statements. In 2016, SIUH reported operational profits of $30.4 million. In 2016, they also reported $10.8 million in investment incomes which was the third largest investment-based revenue stream in Northwell’s system behind North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Staten Island Hospital beds by facility

SIUH has a commanding share of hospital resources on Staten Island, and is licensed to operate over 60 percent of the borough’s hospital beds. They are also the lead facility in the Staten Island DSRIP process.

This dominance contributes to their overall operational strength and financial strength.

SIUH is Profitable

Licensed Hospital Bed Capacity

operational revenues are in the billions of dollars every year. In 2016, they generated nearly $10 billion in revenues, which is a 40% increase over their revenues in 2013.

7

NEW YORK NURSE

Non-Profit US Postage Paid NYSNA

special edition / March 2018

131 West 33rd Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10001

Run for NYSNA Convention Delegate Last year NYSNA took a big step forward. After years of discussion and debate, members voted to restructure the Convention, our highest governing body, to make it more democratic and accountable.

l

ttend the annual convention in New York City, A December 7-8, 2018

l

Attend the convention in 2019 and 2020, once the dates and locations are determined

l

Participate in a delegate orientation in your area

l

eview pre-convention materials and discuss the issues with R your co-workers

Make your voice heard by running to be a Convention delegate!

l

At our Convention elected delegates will set policy and determine our union’s overall priorities, so it’s an in important opportunity to become a NYSNA leader!

Join a pre-convention inter-regional meeting to hear from NYSNA members in your area

l

ring your co-workers’ perspectives and priorities to the B Convention and actively participate in the discussion and debate

l

eport back to members in your local bargaining unit, so R they know what happened at Convention

l

ork with other delegates to carry out the decisions you make W at Convention, both in your facility and in your local area

Starting this Spring, each local bargaining unit will vote for co-workers to represent them at our annual Convention. This is an exciting opportunity for NYSNA members to shape the direction of our union.

Elections will be held in June. In addition to the president or chair, each local bargaining unit will be able to elect at least one delegate. Larger facilities will elect more delegates based on a formula for proportional representation.

Delegates will serve for a three-year term, and the union is committed to providing support for travel and lodging, so we can hear from all of the nurses in New York state.

Candidates must be members in good standing, in a nonsupervisory, non-managerial position within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act, and be prepared to:

If you’re thinking running, you can find more details, including the delegate election policy, on the NYSNA website nysna.org/ delegate.

This is a great opportunity to make NYSNA a more democratic union, but we can’t do it without you!