Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

Montefiore Bronx-based nurses held a rally organized by the NYS Nurses Association on Friday, Feb. 28, at 111 East 210th Street in Norwood, outside the private hospital group’s Moses campus. They said their goal was “to save hospital beds and services, and end overcrowding in the emergency departments and hospital floors at Montefiore Moses and Weiler.” The Montefiore Weiler campus is located in Morris Park.

 

They said Montefiore recently announced a “restructuring” plan that nurses say could negatively impact upon patient care in The Bronx. They allege Montefiore plans to eliminate hospital beds and some essential healthcare services, including some surgical and palliative care services at its Moses campus.

 

Nurses said Montefiore Moses and Weiler campuses have overcrowded emergency departments and patients waiting in hallways for care, a situation they said has gotten worse since last year. They said there are already not enough beds for patients on the hospital floors and “overflow” patients are placed in areas not intended for patient care.

 

At the rally, Linda Appau, RN, a nurse reportedly being displaced because of bed cuts, which NYSNA said are due start March 15, said, “More beds! More nurses! Better care!” Meanwhile, NYSNA chair Una Davis, RN, said, “Montefiore is investing in expanding hospitals in Westchester. It’s time to invest in patient care in The Bronx! Save our beds and end hallway beds and overcrowding now!”

 

Nurses said reducing medical-surgical beds and intermediate-level “stepdown” beds could create even longer wait times and hallway patients in Bronx emergency departments, and more overflow patients in the hospitals.

 

Phiona McFarlane-Hunnigan, RN, said her church members and family rely on Montefiore Bronx hospitals. “I want to see what our leadership talks about on paper, about our core values of equity, reflected in the real world,” she said. Meanwhile, ED resident Luis Aguilar said it was time for Montefiore to put patients over profits. “These are not the conditions our patients deserve!” he said.

 

The nurses were joined by various local elected officials at the rally, along with the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, Mekong NYC, and New York Nonviolent Medicaid Army, and the Committee of Interns & Residents, part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare. Norwood News reached out to Montefiore for comment and received the following statement.

“Like most hospitals across the country, and here in New York, we are seeing an increased demand for Emergency Department services. In fact, we are one of the top ten busiest emergency departments in the U.S. As we continue to treat a population that is growing older, and facing more complex medical needs, we’ve made investments to expand needed intensive and coronary care unit bed capacity.”

 

It continued, “In doing so, we have plans to ensure repurposed Med Surge beds are made available throughout the health system to ensure everyone can receive the care they need at the right time and in the most appropriate setting. Our investments in our facilities will ensure our patients continue receiving the world-class care they deserve.”

 

According to Montefiore, a recent study showed that 90% of U.S. emergency departments reported overcrowding to be a problem, and almost 40% reported that overcrowding occurred daily. Officials said Montefiore is fielding a 30% increase in transfers from other facilities around the City since 2019.

 

They said Montefiore recently announced a $15 million commitment to increase intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity by 21 beds in the Bronx. With more patients arriving at hospitals older, and with more complex medical needs, they said the expansion will help meet the growing demand for intensive care in The Bronx, and ease pressures on emergency departments.

 

They said the new space at Moses will enable the hospital to care for several hundred additional ICU patients each year. They added that patients with fewer needs could also be treated in the ICU beds, if needed. According to Montefiore’s health equity assessment submitted with its state filing, the project would not eliminate services or care.

 

They said Montefiore has also announced plans to expand its coronary care unit (CCU) to accommodate rising rates of heart attacks and other cardiac diseases in The Bronx. They said the plan involves converting four medical-surgical beds into coronary care beds, increasing CCU capacity from 12 to 16 beds.

 

They said the $5 million investment will allow Montefiore to treat more patients experiencing heart attacks and other serious cardiac conditions while further strengthening critical care services in the community. We asked Montefiore for comment about the alleged expansion of Montefiore Services in Westchester mentioned by one of the rally attendees. Montefiore representatives responded, saying Montefiore has been committed to The Bronx since inception, consistently expanding healthcare access and enhancing medical education.

The hospital group’s representatives shared the following examples of that investment and added that it was not an exhaustive list:

 

They said an inpatient pediatric mental health center, expected to open before the end of Q3 2025, will serve as a model to address unmet behavioral and mental health needs of children and adolescents in The Bronx.

 

They said Montefiore’s housing at risk program, which celebrated its 15th anniversary, delivers “highly coordinated” health and housing support to at-risk or unstably housed people after they arrive at Montefiore’s Bronx hospitals. They said Montefiore has decreased emergency department visits among people unstably housed in The Bronx by 45%, and hospital inpatient visits by 60%.

 

They said Montefiore’s school health program is the country’s most extensive school-based health program, and that its mission is to provide comprehensive healthcare to all public school students and parents in The Bronx regardless of their ability to pay.

 

They said Montefiore’s Hero Dads initiative empowers low-income and non-custodial fathers to have family and financial success. They said more than 300 dads in The Bronx go through the program each year, where they learn important parenting skills and are provided with employment opportunities to be able to provide for their children.

 

They said Montefiore is investing $11 million in renovating its cardiac treatment space at its Moses campus. They said the project aims to add a new cardiac electrophysiology and intervention room and expand private recovery rooms from six to nine.

 

They said Montefiore Health System opened the first outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program in The Bronx and that this has positively impacted the Bronx community, which they said has the highest pulmonary disease rate in the nation.

 

They said Montefiore and New York University earned a new health resources and services administration grant to train 5,000 healthcare professionals in providing age-friendly care in The Bronx.

 

They said Montefiore will upgrade to a comprehensive psychiatric emergency program tailored for individuals during a mental health crisis through a state grant of $39 million.

Additionally, in terms of the hospital group’s commitment to the local community, they said Dr. David Herszenson took Montefiore medical staff on walking tours throughout The Bronx to help them learn about the area and the community.

 

They said Montefiore’s pediatrics and rehabilitation medicine departments launched a new service, the first hospital-based outpatient physical and occupational therapy gym for children ages 3 to 11 in The Bronx, at the Norwood-based Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM).

 

They said Montefiore Einstein joined Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield at its annual Back-to-School Fair, where Montefiore provided free kids haircuts so that the students could look and feel their best as they returned to the classroom.

 

They Montefiore provided a special camp experience for six patients with asthma and their families. They said Montefiore Wakefield Hospital hosted a community baby shower where attendees were taught best practices regarding breastfeeding, postnatal and infant care and sleep routines.

 

They said CHAM held a special prom for teenage patients to provide them a joyful and glamorous evening, and help them regain a sense of normalcy amid their health struggles.

 

As reported, a nurses strike against Montefiore and Mount Sinai ended after three days when a deal was struck in early January 2023.