Looming NYC Nurse Strike Prompts Hospitals To Move Sick Babies: Report

NEW YORK CITY — A looming New York City nurses' strike has forced several hospitals to take dramatic steps, including moving sick babies, in preparation for the potential Jan. 9 walkout, according to a new report.

Hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System have diverted ambulances, canceled elective surgeries, discharged patients and transferred others such as NICU babies to other facilities, a memo obtained and first reported by NBC4 states.

Mount Sinai is among five hospital systems that have not struck deals with the New York State Nurses Association, which has pushed for new contracts to deal with understaffing. The union late Wednesday reached tentative agreements with Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center.

"Negotiations and Jan. 9 strike plans continue for 10k nurses at 5 hospitals in NYC," the union tweeted.

Nurses have increasingly raised alarms about dangerously low staffing levels in hospitals that they argue leaves patients at risk.

The strike threat came after months of failed negotiations between the New York State Nurses Association and hospital executives.

"Our goal is never to strike just for the sake of striking – our goal is to win a good contract for nurses and our patients," the union's website states.

After the strike notice, New York-Presbyterian officials struck a deal with the union.

But at least one hospital system executive argued that New York-Presbyterian could literally afford to strike a deal.

"Montefiore lost nearly $600 million over the course of the pandemic. Last year alone, we lost $200 million," said Joe Solmonese, senior vice president at Montefiore, in a statement. "New York Presbyterian, on the other hand, posted net profits of roughly $200 million in 2022."

Solmonese issued the statement after union leaders passed on an agreement that he argued mirrored the New York-Presbyterian deal.

The remaining hospitals under the potential strike are BronxCare Health System, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Montefiore Bronx, Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside and West.