PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Deborah Shapiro, Chief of Rheumatology at Lincoln Medical Center, on Rheumatology Care Crisis in the Bronx
2:45:36
ยท
5 min
Dr. Deborah Shapiro, Chief of Rheumatology at Lincoln Medical Center, testified about the crisis in rheumatology care in the Bronx following the closure of rheumatology clinics at Jacobi Hospital. She detailed the circumstances leading to the departure of four rheumatologists from Jacobi, highlighting issues with hospital administration and inflexible work schedules.
- The closure affected 2,000-3,000 patients who were receiving care at Jacobi
- Dr. Shapiro emphasized that the issue was not primarily about salary, but about unreasonable administration at Jacobi
- The testimony revealed a lack of planning by Jacobi administration for continuing patient care after the clinic closures
Deborah Shapiro
2:45:36
I'm doctor Deborah Shapiro, and I'm Okay.
2:45:42
I'm doctor Deborah Shapiro.
2:45:43
I'm the chief of rheumatology at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx, and I've come today to testify about the crisis in rheumatology care in the Bronx since the closure of the rheumatology clinics at Jacoby at the end of 2023.
2:46:00
We're now, in into our 2nd year of of this crisis.
2:46:05
My service at Lincoln has been directly impacted by the departure of 4 rheumatologists who all left Jacobi over a 3 month period because of arbitrary and disrespectful treatment by their hospital administration.
2:46:20
The the division at Jacobi was an active thriving division with 2 to 3000 patients receiving excellent medical care from 4 highly trained, capable, and dedicated physicians.
2:46:34
The rheumatologists knew that their salaries were uncompetitive, but that's not the reason why the clinics closed.
2:46:43
In about September of 2023, one of these doctors, gave notice.
2:46:48
I believe that was for personal reasons relating to her husband getting a job offer somewhere else.
2:46:55
And of the main the remaining 3 rheumatologists, 2 had school age children and one had a new baby.
2:47:03
2 of these rheumatologists requested flexible work schedules so that they could care for their children.
2:47:10
The administration refused to allow them to change their schedules in any way and told them that they would have to resign unless they worked the normal 8 hours a day, 5 days a week schedule.
2:47:23
One asked if she could work 10 hours a day, 4 days a week to total 40 hours, and that request was refused also.
2:47:32
Both of those 2 doctors then submitted their their resignations.
2:47:38
This left one doctor, the the the chief of rheumatology, doctor Beverly Johnson, who also has 3 young children, and she told the administration that the situation was untenable and requested a meeting with the CEO.
2:47:54
The CEO refused to meet with her, and human resources told her that it was, insubordinate for her to request a meeting with the CEO.
2:48:06
I I will have to, elide some of the, chaos that ensued, but I knew that I would be I would have more capacity at Lincoln to take some of their patients because we were in the process of hiring a new rheumatologist, doctor Sharika Menon.
2:48:26
However, the administration at Jacobi made no plan whatsoever for the continuing care of the 2 to 3000 patients, and it was left to me, doctor Johnson, and the chiefs of medicine and ambulatory care at, Jacobi to scramble to find a place for these patients to go.
2:48:49
The lack of concern for patient care shown by the administration at Jacobi, to me, is incomprehensible and disgraceful.
2:48:57
I was, well aware of everything that was happening there.
2:49:02
I had multiple discussions with everyone.
2:49:05
I've spent I I cannot begin to describe the the number of hours I spend every evening working on this.
2:49:14
I applied for admitting privileges at Jacobi so that I could do electronic consults, which we call econsults, to communicate with the primary care and other doctors at and I, spent probably 2 hours every week weekday evening after my normal work day doing these econsults,
Mercedes Narcisse
2:49:39
Doctor Shapiro, can you summarize?
Deborah Shapiro
2:49:41
Okay.
2:49:42
Thanks.
2:49:42
In a in a in a word, there are no more rheumatologists at Jacobi, because anyone who applies there who has half a brain is going to, ask why did your clinics close?
2:49:58
And then ask the rheumatologist who left why they left.
2:50:03
And so no one who has young children is ever going to apply to work there.
2:50:11
And, the proof is, you know, the fact that they've never been able to hire anybody in all this time.
2:50:18
So it's really not a, salary issue.
2:50:21
It is an unreasonable administration at Jacobi.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:50:27
Since the hearing is for the doctor, we try to keep it for the doctors to listen to see what's going on.
2:50:32
But if you can summarize, that would be nice because we have a lot of folks that come in to testify.
2:50:37
So thank you, doctor Shapiro.
2:50:39
And we can get all the writing you can share with us.
Adedayo Adedeji
2:50:42
I will
Deborah Shapiro
2:50:42
definitely share the written
Mercedes Narcisse
2:50:44
testimony with you.