NYSNA Nurses Hold Week of Action to Demand Private Hospitals Protect Healthcare for New Yorkers
For Immediate Release: Nov. 13, 2025
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
NYSNA NURSES HOLD WEEK OF ACTION TO DEMAND PRIVATE HOSPITALS PROTECT HEALTHCARE FOR NEW YORKERS
From Manhattan to Brooklyn, NYSNA Nurses Speak Out for Safe Patient Care
Nurses Launch Website nychospitalgreed.com to Expose How NYC Private Hospitals Put Profits Over Patients
New York, N.Y. - On Thursday, Nov. 13, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses continued a second week of action to demand that NYC private hospitals invest in safe, patient care rather than executive pay and risky speculations on artificial intelligence. CEOs at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian now make, on average, nearly 12,000 percent more than the registered nurses on the frontlines caring for patients. And Mount Sinai recently shelled out a whopping $100 million on just one AI facility. The bottom line: NYC’s private hospitals can afford to put patients first.
Amidst looming federal healthcare cuts, nurses and allies call on our city’s private sector hospitals to do their part to protect New York patients.
NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals have mobilized to protect healthcare across our state ahead of the Trump administration’s impending healthcare cuts. If Trump’s cuts proceed, the number of uninsured New Yorkers will likely increase by over a million, health insurance premiums could go up for all, and New York could lose billions in federal healthcare funding. Nurses demand that private hospitals do their part to protect healthcare for New Yorkers.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, at Maimonides Medical Center said, “The time is now for hospitals to step up and take safe patient care seriously. We’ve watched hospitals like Mount Sinai attempt to veil the extent to which they’ve prioritized their money-making ventures over the patients of this city. We’re here to say enough is enough. The wealthiest hospitals need to stop playing games with artificial intelligence and invest in care for those who need it most. Nurses, who have been on the frontlines of caring for patients and have been ruthless in their fight to protect federal healthcare funding, are demanding hospitals do their part.”
NYC’s private hospitals have increased executive compensation by millions over the last several years – while continuing to cite economic uncertainty as an excuse not to invest in patient care. According to 990 tax filings, the CEOs of New York City’s three major academic medical centers, Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian increased their total compensation, including salaries, benefits, and perks, by over 54% from 2020 to 2023.
In 2023, NewYork-Presbyterian CEO Steve Corwin raked in $14.6 million — that’s over $1.2 million per month, and $40,000 per day. In just two days Steve Corwin makes more money than most New York City families make in an entire year.
Meanwhile, Mount Sinai hospital executives have repeatedly shown they value their risky investment ventures more than safe patient care. The hospital system shelled out $100 million on a single AI facility. Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, a Mount Sinai-affiliated venture capital funds run for-profit company, has raised millions from the hospital and outside investors for technology that has not been proven safe for patients and that will erode nurse-patient relationships. Mount Sinai has also announced it is deploying AI to listen in on doctor-patient conversations.
Hospitals have ignored staffing issues that put safe patient care at risk, choosing to spend thousands on meritless lawsuits and arbitration awards rather than following safe staffing standards. Nurses launched a new website nychospitalgreed.com to expose how NYC’s private hospitals put profits before people.
Nurses’ campaign “Nurses Care for New York” defends New York’s healthcare system and ensures that all New Yorkers have access to safe patient care. Approximately 20,000 NYSNA nurses at 12 private sector hospitals whose contracts expire Dec. 31, 2025 are united around a five-point platform:
- Quality patient care through enforceable safe staffing.
- Defend access to care when our patients’ healthcare services and staff are under attack.
- Protect nurses, so we can continue to care for you.
- Every patient deserves a real nurse.
- Fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
Here’s what nurses are up against at some of the major private hospital networks in New York City:
Nurses from Mount Sinai’s intensive care, pediatric intensive care, and palliative care are forced to skip meals or leave their colleagues with double the number of patients they can safely care for because there is no break relief. ICU nurses at Mount Sinai are frequently assigned 3-4 patients each to cover breaks, instead of the state legally mandated two. Hospital managers push nurses to take on additional duties and patients, instead of hiring enough nurses to staff safely.
Nurses are demanding that Mount Sinai invest in safe patient care instead of fighting them on staffing issues. In nine separate rulings in 2024, arbitrators found that Mount Sinai understaffed units and awarded nurses approximately $4.7 million in financial remedies for nurses who worked in understaffed units.
At Brooklyn safety net hospitals Maimonides Medical Center, The Brooklyn Hospital Center and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, nurses are fighting for health equity for our communities.
Nurses are demanding that safety-net hospitals ensure safe staffing so that our patients receive the same quality care as other private sector hospitals. Nurses are speaking out about our commitment to care for all New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay, and the responsibility these hospitals have to protect patients by investing in safe staffing. Hospitals’ ability to deliver quality care depends on their recruitment and retention of frontline staff.
NYSNA Director at Large Denash Forbes, RN, and local leader at Mount Sinai Morningside-West said, “Hospitals can look to exorbitant executive compensation if they are looking to cut costs. They can look into their investments in artificial intelligence, which undermines safe patient care. But we refuse to stand by and watch them compromise the safety and well-being of our patients. We’re demanding that they invest in this community because we know they can afford to do better.”
Darla Joiner, RN, local leader at Mount Sinai Hospital, said, “While nurses are on the frontlines fighting for our patients, hospitals are fighting their nurses. When we exercised our union-protected rights, the hospital retaliated. Union-busting has no place in New York, especially when it's used to undermine safe patient care. NYSNA nurses are determined to stay united, stay vocal and advocate for our patients!”
Debra Ambrose, RN, local leader at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, said, “While nurses take care of some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers every day, hospital administrators try to squeeze nurses as much as possible and cut corners on care. This is a question of equity. Our communities will face the impact of impending healthcare cuts much harder than the people across our bargaining table. We’re here demanding that hospitals do their part to protect healthcare for New Yorkers because the future of this community is at stake.”
Dalia Branford, RN, local leader at Wyckoff Hospital, said, “Patients at our safety net hospitals deserve the absolute best care and that’s why we’re speaking out. They deserve adequate resources and safe staffing. Our hospitals have a duty to protect healthcare for New Yorkers, and that means investing in safe patient care, protecting our nurses, and recruiting and retaining frontline staff.”
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, said, "The fight for a fair contract is a fight for the future of healthcare in our city. In order to live in a city where every New Yorker can access high-quality healthcare, we have to start by ensuring our hospitals are fully staffed and that staff receive the pay and benefits they deserve. New York's nurses always have our back and I'm proud to have theirs as we demand a fair contract for more than 20,000 nurses.”
Senator Cordell Cleare said, "Healthcare is the most essential human right and our city hospitals are exemplars of providing exceptional and compassionate care. This is largely due to the professional dedication of our nurses, including all members of NYSNA. Nurses are at the heart of our public health system--pay them what you owe them, and then pay them even more because their work improves lives and raises spirits."
Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “I stand in solidarity with NYSNA and the nurses at Mt. Sinai Morningside and West in their fight for a fair contract. With the future of healthcare and the promise of quality care under threat, we must support and listen to the needs of nurses on the frontline. Nurses are irreplaceable, and an investment in them is an investment in all our care. I urge all parties toward a just contract.”
New York State Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “I join my NYSNA siblings to defend healthcare in Brooklyn and demand that our city’s hospitals protect healthcare and invest in patients, rather than executive pay and risky artificial intelligence. Over the last few months, I’ve fought alongside my fellow nurses to fight back against some of the wealthiest hospitals in New York as they cut frontline staff and essential services. We need our safety-net hospitals to prioritize safe staffing and health equity so that all patients receive the quality care they deserve, regardless of their ability to pay. Nurses care for New York, and right now we are fighting for the health and well-being of our communities. I remain committed to fighting for quality care for all New Yorkers with my NYSNA siblings.”
“Nurses care for our fellow New Yorkers, and we’re here today to show that we care too," said Assembly Member Tony Simone. "As federal healthcare cuts loom, hospitals must choose patients over profits and safe staffing over executive bonuses and artificial intelligence. Our city’s nurses are fighting for quality care and health equity, and I’m proud to stand with them in that fight.”
Assembly Member Emily Gallagher said, "Nurses show up to the front lines every day to ensure New Yorkers are cared for, and they deserve that same care and respect in return. As a state and a country, our healthcare system is under siege from federal cuts and already pervasive staffing shortages. Our communities deserve excellent care when they are sick, regardless of the hospital they visit, the insurance they hold, or their income level. To deliver that, we must invest in our healthcare system, staff our hospitals appropriately, and ensure care comes from humans, not artificial intelligence."
Assembly Member Claire Valdez said, “Nurses show up day and night to keep New Yorkers alive, comforted, and cared for. Yet the very people who hold our healthcare system together are being asked to do more with less, while hospital executives pour resources into bonuses and experimental tech. We need our hospitals to put patients first. That means safe staffing, reversing cuts, and ensuring every New Yorker receives the quality care they deserve. Nurses are fighting for all of us, and I stand proudly with them.”
“As the daughter of a nurse who spent four decades caring for New Yorkers and a staunch advocate for unions, I will always stand with nurses and healthcare workers and fight for their right to a good paying job and a safe workplace,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “We must ensure the nurses at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and the 11 other sites that NYSNA represents includes fair wages and benefits while ensuring nurses can meet their promise to care for patient needs. That means enforceable safe staffing standards, workplace violence prevention, and more. As an elected official, I will continue to fight against funding cuts for healthcare and work alongside my colleagues in Albany and City Hall to do what we can to fill the gaps left by federal cuts.”
“Nurses are the backbone of patient care and deserve fair wages, safe staffing, & quality benefits,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler. “With federal government slashing healthcare funding, it's even more important now that we stand with our nurses to ensure patients at our local healthcare institutions receive high quality care from dedicated nurses.”
"I stand in full solidarity with the New York State Nurses Association and the dedicated nurses at Maimonides Medical Center and across Brooklyn who are demanding safe staffing, fair contracts, and quality care for all patients. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and their ability to provide compassionate, effective care depends on hospitals prioritizing people over profits,” said Council Member Farah N. Louis. "As hospitals expand their investments in technology and administration, they must also invest in the professionals who sustain the health and well-being of our communities every day, and I applaud NYSNA for taking bold action to ensure that every patient receives the care they deserve, and that every nurse is treated with the dignity, respect, and support they have earned."
Council Member Sandy Nurse, said, “Our nurses are the backbone of our city, and they deserve a fair contract. As federal attacks on our healthcare institutions loom, we must protect quality care in our hospitals by ensuring safe staffing across the board.”
Council Member Keith Powers said, “As the son of a nurse, I know first-hand the life-saving work nurses do each and every day. I proudly stand with the 20,000 nurses across 12 New York City hospitals who are simply asking for safe staffing levels and a fair contract. New Yorkers are lucky to have some of the best hospitals in the country. But without the nurses who serve as the backbone of the system, it falls apart. It's time we stand up for our nurses and give them the fair wages, benefits and workplace protections they deserve."
“As a Council Member representing thousands of Brooklyn families who rely on Maimonides Medical Center, and the nurses who keep it running, I stand proudly with NYSNA nurses in their fight for a fair contract and safe staffing,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Our nurses have always shown up for Brooklyn families; now it’s time for our hospitals to show up for them. Healthcare is a human right, and I’ll continue to stand with our nurses to protect it.”
“New York City’s nurses care for our communities every day with skill, compassion, and courage,” said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Janella T. Hinds. “The New York City Labor Movement stands with NYSNA as they fight for a healthcare system that truly values patients and the professionals who care for them. Hospitals must invest in safe staffing, quality care, and the workforce that keeps our city healthy, not in executive bonuses or artificial intelligence that puts profits before people.”
Community Voices Heard Executive Director Juanita Lewis, said, “For several months, we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with nurses to stop harmful Medicaid cuts. These workers care for our loved ones with dignity and respect and they deserve the same in return. Mount Sinai must do what’s right and agree to a fair and honorable bargaining contract. Housing and healthcare are deeply intertwined. The ability to retain skilled nurses is directly connected to fair pay and housing that provides stability. When nurses can not afford housing in the communities they serve, the quality of care can suffer. Fair pay and fair housing are essential to building the healthy, thriving New York we all deserve. We stand with NYSNA and urge Mount Sinai to negotiate a fair contract that reflects the value that nurses contribute to our communities.”
Tuulikki Robertson, Executive Director of The Black Institute, said, “Why does it always have to come down to Black and Brown nurses taking action just to secure fair contracts and basic safety? Nurses are the frontline, the backbone of our healthcare system, yet Black and Brown nurses in New York City continue to fight for what should already be guaranteed, especially in a trillion-dollar industry. We at The Black Institute stand firmly with our Black and Brown nurses in their fight for better working conditions, fair contracts, and the dignity they deserve.”
“All workers deserve safety and dignity on the job, and for nurses that means safe staffing, fair wages, and quality patient care from nurses, not artificial intelligence. But private hospitals are padding executive paychecks and gambling on AI while cutting corners at the bedside. As federal cuts threaten healthcare nationwide, ALIGN stands with NYSNA to demand that hospitals invest in patients and nurses first and deliver fair contracts by the end of the year,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director.
Sol Freire Figueroa, Campaigns Director of New York Communities for Change, said, “Our nurses are bearing the brunt of giving quality service while being under-resourced and understaffed. The time is now for NYC hospitals to stand with our nurses, provide them with fair wages and worker protections. Taking care of our nurses is taking care of our communities.”
Three years ago, NYSNA New York City nurses were prepared to strike for safe staffing and better patient care, and two hospitals went on strike in January 2023. Nurses now are just as committed to defending the gains we have made, protecting the staff and services our patients need, and ensuring that hospitals put patients over profits.
NYSNA launched a new advertising campaign and website in August to support New York City nurses. Visit https://www.nursescareforny.org/ to learn more.
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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.