REMARKS
Council Member Carmen De La Rosa's opening remarks on the potential work stoppage at NYC Health + Hospitals
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Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, delivers opening remarks addressing the potential work stoppage at NYC Health + Hospitals. She highlights the challenges faced by physicians, including understaffing, contract negotiations, and the impact on patient care quality.
- De La Rosa emphasizes the need for competitive salaries and robust benefits for physicians in NYC.
- She expresses the desire to understand physicians' concerns about working conditions and support mechanisms.
- The council member acknowledges the ongoing negotiations and the potential impact of a worker strike on the city's healthcare system.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
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Thank you, chair.
0:09:11
Good afternoon.
0:09:12
I am council member Carmen de la Rosa, chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor.
0:09:16
I'd like to start by thanking chair Narcisse and chair Schulman for convening this hearing and for their commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to high quality health care for all of their medical needs.
0:09:28
Today, we will be discussing the potential upcoming work stoppage across 4 New York City health and hospital locations.
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The doctor's council, the nation's oldest and largest union of physicians, recently voted to authorize a work stoppage to shed light on the challenges caused by the current under staffing crisis.
0:09:46
In in a recent press release by the doctor's council, the union pointed to reductions in sick leave, cuts to benefits, high rates of burnout and stress, and a and contract negotiations that have eluded an agreement since September of 2023.
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Under staffing is not an issue that is unique to New York City's public hospital system.
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Unfortunately, low recruitment and retention rates have been reported across the country while coinciding with the aging population that requires consistent medical services.
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Understaffed hospital systems lead to overworked hospital staff, which then threaten the quality of care that each patient is able to receive.
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Physicians in New York City shoulder an incredible amount of responsibility and do so with grace and selflessness.
0:10:35
We are extremely grateful to them for their service to our city of over 8,000,000 patients In a city where the cost of living is a 130% higher than the national average, these doctors deserve a competitive salary that addresses increased cost of living, robust benefits, mental health, and mental health supports.
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This will give them the peace of mind knowing that New York City's health care system can deliver high quality care even when a physician takes a sick day.
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We understand that negotiations are ongoing, and we respect the limitations on what can be discussed today.
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However, we would like to take this opportunity to better understand the concerns that doctors have with their working conditions, learn about the mechanisms in place for physicians to request and receive help when they encounter physical, mental, or emotional challenges, and try to determine what impact a potential worker strike would have on our city's health care system.
0:11:35
I'd like to thank our committee staff, senior policy analyst, Elizabeth Arts, and our legislative counsel, Rieh Asawara, for their hard work in preparing for today's hearing, and I'd also like to thank my staff, James Burke, Keanna Diaz, and Frey Familia.
0:11:49
I now turn back to chair Narcisse.
0:11:50
Thank you.