Statement regarding the appointment of Pat Kane, RN as Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2019
Contact: Carl Ginsburg, carl.ginsburg@nysna.org, 917.405.1060

New York, NY – New York State Nurses Association is proud to announce that longtime NYSNA Treasurer and Staten Island nurse, Pat Kane, RN, will assume the role of Executive Director of the 43,000 member union on December 20, 2019.

NYSNA thanks Executive Director Jill Furillo, RN, for the relentless work she has done on behalf of its members and patients to help make NYSNA the powerful union it is today.

Pat Kane was a lead architect in building the movement that changed NYSNA into a powerful union. She was a leader in developing a strategic plan based upon rank and file empowerment that's been pivotal to NYSNA's successful contract campaigns. Her leadership on issues of safe staffing, climate justice and guaranteed universal healthcare made her the unanimous choice to be named NYSNA's new executive director.

She has worked closely with Jill Furillo throughout Furillo’s tenure in partnership with the NYSNA Board of Directors and NYSNA's members, and especially since Furillo announced last September that she would be retiring.

Pat Kane worked as a nurse for three decades, including in the OR at Staten Island University Hospital/Northwell Health.

On the North Shore of Staten Island, where she has lived for 50 years, Pat has been a committed voice in the fight to address disparities in access to care and the social determinants of health.

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Pat was a leader in protecting the public's health. She also worked on the Task Force for Youth Substance Abuse, helping Staten Island communities address the opioid epidemic in the lives of teenagers.

“It has been an honor to serve as NYSNA’s Executive Director the past seven years where, collectively with our leaders, members and staff, we have built a strong and vibrant union. Together, we have secured many victories for nurses and patients. I am confident that Pat Kane, as the new Executive Director, is the best person to build upon these victories and continue the fight” said Jill Furillo, RN.

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The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 43,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit nysna.org.