NYSNA Nurses Hold Virtual Town Hall to Spotlight Staffing Issues at Northwell/Putnam Hospital
For over a year, NYSNA nurses at Northwell Health/Putnam Hospital have been bargaining for a fair union contract that includes safe staffing standards to ensure they can deliver quality patient care to Putnam County residents. But Northwell—who took over the hospital in 2025 after acquiring Nuvance Health—is pushing for nurse-to-patient ratios that would make it even harder for nurses to deliver the level of care their patients deserve. Nurses refuse to settle a contract that would jeopardize their patients, so this fall they are taking action to escalate their fight for a fair contract.
On Monday, Oct. 19, Putnam nurses held a virtual town hall meeting, alongside New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Martin Sommer, vice president of the Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Body, where they informed community members of the ongoing staffing issues at the hospital and Northwell’s push to make staffing standards less safe. Mid-Hudson News covered the meeting.
Hannah Bozsik, RN, said: “It always feels like we are on the verge of a crisis because we are so short staffed. I’ve been a Putnam nurse for three years, and since Northwell took over, staffing levels have gotten worse. We work extremely hard and we deserve to have a fair contract with staffing standards that will protect our patients and ourselves.”
Nurses say that Northwell has repeatedly ignored their feedback on staffing, and that hospital administrators refuse to include any meaningful enforcement mechanisms in the contract, preventing nurses from holding them accountable when units are understaffed. As the largest private employer in the state and one of New York's wealthiest healthcare systems, Northwell Health can afford to include enforceable staffing standards for Putnam Hospital in writing.
Northwell Health: Prioritizing Profits Over Patient Care
Northwell has a history of prioritizing profits over patient care: a report by the state of Connecticut, conducted in advance of Northwell’s acquisition of Nuvance, found that communities where Northwell had acquired hospitals saw a hike in healthcare costs for patients. And this is reflected in Northwell’s excess of revenue over expenses. In the first half of 2026 alone, the entire Northwell system generated a $252 million surplus.
But while Northwell is prioritizing profits over patient care and ignoring nurses’ calls for safe nurse-to-patient ratios, they are also pursuing Magnet Accreditation, the highest credential a hospital can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient care. NYSNA nurses have refused to support Northwell’s application, citing their disinterest in settling a fair contract for nurses and patients that would safely staff the hospital.
What’s Next?
Despite the success of Putnam nurses’ virtual town hall meeting, they are not taking their feet off the gas. Earlier this week, nurses launched a digital action for community members to email hospital president Derek Anderson, demanding that he settle a fair contract that includes safe staffing language. And on Thursday, Nov. 12, nurses will hold an informational picket outside the hospital to amplify their calls for safe staffing and a fair union contract.
Putnam nurses intend to keep on fighting for the safe, quality care their community deserves.