One Year Since Department of Health Investigates Albany Medical Center, Hospital Still Failing to Address Staffing Crisis
For immediate release: June 5, 2025
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Joseph Celestin | press@nysna.org | 518-776-8337
ONE YEAR SINCE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INVESTIGATES ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER, HOSPITAL STILL FAILING TO ADDRESS THE STAFFING CRISIS
Over a year since first speaking out about the staffing crisis that puts patient care at risk, NYSNA nurses sound the alarm on the hospital’s continued disregard of the law
Albany Med Submits Third Plan to Correct Staffing Deficiencies at the Hospital
Nurses demand that Albany Medical Center’s Board of Directors step in and take immediate action to solve the staffing crisis
Albany, N.Y. - On Thursday, June 5, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses spoke out about Albany Medical Center’s ongoing refusal to fix the staffing crisis and protect patient care. Nurses provided an update on the hospital’s responses to the Department of Health’s (DOH) investigation and called on the Albany Med Board of Directors to hold the hospital accountable. Nearly a year after its first investigation, and after several rejected correction plans, the DOH has yet to issue fines or spur substantive change from the hospital. Nearly a thousand nurses signed a petition calling on Albany Med to negotiate a fair contract now that will help address the staffing crisis. NYSNA nurses were joined by elected officials, and community and labor allies, including Assembly Member Gabriella Romero, Assembly Member Phil Steck, Capital District Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Director Mark Emanation, and Rev. West McNeill, NYS Labor-Religion Coalition.
The staffing deficiency report issued by the DOH found a record 500+ violations, which included 480 violations of safe staffing standards and 24 procedural violations. These violations were found across 26 different units, including 32 specifically within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). CEO Dennis McKenna has continually publicly denied there is a staffing crisis and suggested that nurses have exaggerated the issue. This, despite the fact that the scale of Albany Med’s violations far surpasses those of any other known hospital to date.
Over one year since the Department of Health first began its investigation of the hospital, the hospital has yet to address the staffing crisis in a substantive way. Correspondence between the DOH and the hospital shows that administrators delayed responses several times, denied findings, and have yet to submit a plan of corrections that the DOH deems sufficient. Two previous plans of correction were rejected for not adequately addressing the staffing violations found by the DOH. On May 23, nurses on Albany Med’s staffing committee were asked for the first time to help submit a third attempted plan of correction. The committee was given the full staffing deficiency report and a tight deadline only hours before being called to the meeting. In a letter to hospital administration in December, the DOH warned of imminent fines. Instead of issuing fines, the DOH gave the hospital yet another chance to submit a plan of correction. In the absence of DOH action, nurses are calling on the Albany Med Board of Directors to step in and address the staffing crisis.
Instead of hiring full-time staff to address the problem, hospital administration has closed beds and hired expensive temporary travel nurses. The hospital has continued to hide how many travel nurses are at the hospital and how much money is being spent on just travel nurses at Albany Med. They refused to comply with requests to share information about their use of travel nurses. Earlier this year, Region 3 of the NLRB issued a complaint against Albany Med alleging that the hospital broke federal labor law and refused to bargain with NYSNA in good faith by withholding this information.
Jessica DeStefano, Adult STAT RN, said, “One year is enough. The hospital keeps saying they support the nurses. However, it has repeatedly stood against our attempts to fix the staffing crisis at this hospital. I’ve watched far too many good nurses leave the hospital because they were tired of the hospital breaking the law, continued attacks on our rights as workers, and failure to staff our units with enough nurses. Many nurses, who are already spread far too thin, have been pushed to their breaking points. Nurses want what is best for their patients and when they can’t do that, they end up going elsewhere.
Sam Oreshan, NICU RN, said, “Over the past few months, nurses have shown that we’re united like never before. Approximately a thousand nurses have signed a petition demanding an end to Albany Med’s bullying and for a fair contract that will help recruit and retain enough nurses to safely care for patients. We won’t stop until we get what patients, nurses, and this community deserve. With the future of healthcare in the capital region in the balance, we need a contract that will protect patient care.”
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said "Albany Medical Center has continually shown that it believes the law does not apply to them. Nurses are calling on the hospital’s Board of Directors to step in to stop CEO Dennis McKenna from running the hospital in ways that jeopardize safe patient care. If the board and the hospital’s executives care about patients in the community, they will step in, and demand that McKenna settle a fair contract that respects patients and nurses and New York state safe staffing laws.”
Over the last year, NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center have held townhalls and an informational picket, hosted community forums, delivered petitions to hospital leadership, and held speak-outs for safe staffing. Unions, community groups, and elected officials have penned letters of solidarity calling on Albany Med to listen to its nurses and demanding that the Department of Health take action. Nurses also launched an ad campaign across the capital region to draw attention to the staffing crisis at Albany Med. Visit albanymedqualitycare.org to find out 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.