Statement by NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 4, 2020

Let me be clear: the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) would never follow, harass or intimidate families or children, period - those accusations are beyond absurd. We spend our lives caring for the community, and it’s insulting that Dr McKenna would even say that.

NYSNA did hire a truck to drive around the Capital District to let the public know that Albany Medical Center refuses to protect our nurses, their children and their families from COVID with proper protective equipment, refuses to discuss providing affordable health coverage for their families, and refuses to take measures to stop hundreds of nurses from quitting because the conditions are so bad.

Nurses are in this fight to protect their patients, their families and all the children of this community. The nurses are truly worried about bringing this infection home to their children and spreading it to families in this community every day. We are raising the red flag because Albany Med is not following the proper protocols to protect patients and nurses, and that’s why we were forced to file complaints with the federal government.

These frontline heroes are being treated as expendable by Albany Med - it’s not right and it’s not fair.

Dr McKenna should stop making up issues, stop deflecting and start fixing the fact that his hospital is not following proper protocols and putting people at risk.