At Northwell hospitals, praise and respect for our communities, nurses

By Nick Fitterman, MD and Michael Scarpelli

To our valued communities, thank you for continuously trusting Northwell Health with your care. We know you have choices, you entrust your care to us, and we never take that trust for granted.

As you’ve probably heard, we recently concluded negotiations with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) for new collective bargaining agreements for our nurses across Huntington, Plainview, and Syosset hospitals. The new contracts with our nurses set fair pay, benefits, and other working conditions.

These were complex discussions, involving compensation, staffing, and more. We are pleased to share that by working carefully and constructively with the NYSNA negotiating representatives, we have reached agreements at all locations without disrupting the exceptional patient care you rely on.

These agreements underscore our deep respect for our highly skilled, mission-driven nurses, who are trusted partners and advocates for health and wellbeing. They reflect competitive, market-based wage increases and comprehensive benefits which help our hospitals recruit and retain valued RNs.

These agreements create stability that allows us to continue investing in advanced technology, clinical programs, and most importantly our nurses who advance patient care. It also maintains our flexible staffing model, continually reviewed, and adjusted based on immediate patient needs and safety, rather than fixed staffing ratios. Fixed ratios may look simple on paper, but they can and prevent hospitals from adjusting staffing quickly when patient needs increase or care becomes more complex.

This outcome ensures continued high-quality care for our community now and in the future. We are optimistic about moving forward together with our nurses to ensure compassionate care for everyone who comes to Huntington, Plainview, and Syosset hospitals.

Nick Fitterman, MD, serves as president of Huntington Hospital. Michael Scarpelli is president of Plainview Hospital and Syosset Hospital.