Protest: Nurses Say Hospital Reinforcing Racial Healthcare Divide

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Nurses from Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital and Montefiore in the Bronx will rally this morning on the steps of Mount Vernon City Hall at 11 a.m. The protest comes in response to the release of a scathing new report critical of the impact of the healthcare giant’s aggressive expansion in southern Westchester County.

The Unequal Empire: How Montefiore’s Expansion Reinforces Racial Disparities in Healthcare report released Friday morning by the New York State Nurses Association and the Save and Transform Mount Vernon Coalition looks at the "the role that hospital systems and healthcare policy decision-makers play in reinforcing healthcare inequities." The study is critical of how Montefiore makes decisions on allocating resources in the primarily minority populated areas served by the healthcare entity. Nurses say those decisions have had a negative impact on healthcare access and community health in those neighborhoods.

In addition to Montefiore nurses, the scheduled protest is expected to be joined by local elected officials and community leaders, including Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. Many of the demonstrators will be carrying protest signs with infographics taken directly from the just released report.

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), which represents Montefiore nurses, is New York state’s largest labor union for RNs. NYSNA members have staged recent labor actions, including a strike and picket lines, at nearby Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital. The Save and Transform Mount Vernon Coalition is a civic group focused on improving Mount Vernon Hospital.