Instead of Settling Contract With Safe Staffing, Albany Med Cancels Negotiations Blaming 50+ DOH Violations
For immediate release
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
INSTEAD OF SETTLING CONTRACT WITH SAFE STAFFING, ALBANY MED CANCELS NEGOTIATIONS BLAMING 50+ DOH VIOLATIONS
Working over a month without a contract, NYSNA nurses demand Albany Med come to the bargaining table, share the Department of Health’s Staffing Deficiency Report, and address serious staffing crisis
Albany, N.Y.– On Thursday, Sept. 12, nearly two weeks since Albany Med received the Department of Health (DOH)’s Staffing Deficiency Report and nearly six weeks after contract expiration, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses held a press conference to discuss the staffing crisis that management refuses to address. Albany Med canceled bargaining originally scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, and continues to avoid making substantive progress toward addressing the hospital’s safe staffing issues.
**Photo and video available upon request**
Jenn Bejo, RN, said, “We fought for and won safe staffing standards, which apply to hospitals across the state. These are rules that the DOH has made to ensure that when a patient goes to a hospital, they are able to be seen in a safe and timely manner. But the rule of law only matters if hospitals follow the law. And Albany Med seems to believe they are above the law.”
DOH investigators continue to be a presence at Albany Med after delivering a Staffing Deficiency Report to Albany Med nearly two weeks ago. The hospital has 45 days after receipt of the report to develop a plan and should work with the staffing committee to correct deficiencies. While management has refused to share the report with nurses as required by law, nurses who have filed staffing complaints with the state have received letters that substantiate over 50 violations. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, NYSNA filed a ULP for the hospital’s failure to provide NYSNA nurses with the DOH’s report.
Albany Med cites the DOH’s “continued presence” as the reason they had to delay bargaining. While the hospital says the DOH has supposedly “consumed everyone’s time and focus,” Albany Med continues to violate the state law’s safe staffing ratios, as substantiated in the complaints that have been made since the DOH’s original investigation in June. These legal violations are a near daily occurrence in the region’s only Level 1 trauma center, serving the sickest and most vulnerable patients from counties that span into VT and MA.
Jennifer Kiehle, RN, said: “Albany Med often celebrates that it is the only Level 1 trauma center in the region, which means it sees the sickest patients with the biggest complications. This regional designation also means that when patients come to us, we are their only option. If you’re experiencing an emergency, travelling for hours to get care, the last thing you want is to arrive at a hospital that doesn’t have the staff to immediately address your needs. You don’t want to arrive at a hospital with a backed-up ER, and with beds closed on floors to address staffing issues in other units because there are not enough nurses to care for patients. You want peace of mind. And instead, what many patients get when they come to Albany Med is chaos.”
At this time, Albany Med has provided no indication about when or how they will resolve these serious DOH patient safety violations or how they will include frontline NYSNA nurses in addressing these problems.
Tonia Bazel, RN, said: “Albany Med has an obligation to share the report. The DOH requires it. Instead, we’ve only heard from them that they don’t want to share it because they don’t want the public to know about the rampant understaffing at the hospital. But frontline nurses and the community deserve to know what else DOH investigators have found. Our community deserves the truth!”
NYSNA nurses are urging Albany Med administrators to come to the bargaining table and settle a fair contract with a comprehensive plan to recruit, retain, and respect nurses in order to solve the nurse staffing crisis at the hospital and ensure quality care for the community.
The staffing issues are in part a result of the hospital’s continued consolidation. While Albany Med has expanded its market share in the region, the hospital has not made commensurate investments in hiring and retaining nurses. Instead of investing in keeping experienced nurses from the community at bedside, Albany Med invests in real estate, executive pay, and other money-making investments.
In recent bargaining sessions, the hospital has refused to substantively address safe staffing by coming to the table with a plan to recruit and retain nurses with higher wages, improved benefits, and union rights. Albany Med’s nurse vacancy rate is nearly 25%, while a study found that the average national vacancy rate is 10%. Albany Med’s refusal to invest in retaining nurses and address high turnover has directly affected the quality of care at the hospital. Albany Med’s ED was found to have the highest wait times in New York State.
NYSNA nurses want a contract that includes enforceable staffing ratios, fair pay, good benefits, and a voice in patient care. Nurses insist that Albany Med share the report with nurses and take immediate and comprehensive steps to fix these serious patient care concerns. Frontline NYSNA nurses who work daily at the bedside are the experts in their work and know what is best for patient care.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: “Many of these violations have happened since the DOH’s investigation began, showing the complete disregard Albany Med has for the law and patient safety. While Albany Med continues to violate the law and put patients’ care at risk, nurses have continued to advocate for improved staffing and patient care and have demanded they fix short staffing issues. It’s time Albany Med be held accountable for their violations.”
Nurses at Albany Medical Center have been in negotiations since April and have seen little movement from management on these key issues. Over the last year, NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center have held an informational picket and hosted community forums, delivered petitions to hospital leadership, and held speak-outs for safe staffing.
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The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide. For more information, visit nysna.org.