The New York City nurses strike commenced early morning on Monday, January 12th as 15,000 staff members across Manhattan and the Bronx hit the picket line.
The New York State Nurses Association strike is targeting Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System, and NewYork-Presbyterian, demanding manageable staffing ratios, increased security, and increased wages.
According to Joseph Goldstein of The New York Times, this could potentially become “one of the biggest labor showdowns in the city’s health care industry in decades.”
So, what does that mean for patients?
What happens now that the New York City nurses strike has begun?
Naturally, New Yorkers are curious what to expect now that the picketing has started and how treatment will be affected. Each hospital has offered insight into what to expect on their website.
“Services provided by Montefiore Medical Center will not be impacted by the nurses’ strike. All patient appointments remain scheduled unless you hear directly from your provider.”
According to Mount Sinai: “All hospitals remain open for patient care. Your provider will contact you if your scheduled appointment requires changes.” Additionally, a document providing updates on the events is available for patients.
Per the document,
To ensure the health and safety of the population, a State of Emergency has been declared in New York State and the Department of Health has issued guidance to allow hospitals to plan for the staffing disruption. This declaration and the guidance give us greater flexibility to manage during the strike. We are now able to use out-of-state providers and to transfer patients to alleviate the strain on stressed hospitals.
New York-Presbyterian released a statement indicating:
All hospitals and emergency centers are open and accepting patients. Additionally,
- The strike involves ONLY the following select NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals and practices:
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (Upper Manhattan)
- Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital (Upper Manhattan)
- Allen Hospital (Inwood)
- Ambulatory Care Network (ACN – Columbia affiliated only)
This is a developing story. Please stay tuned as more news is unveiled.