MEDIA ADVISORY

Contacts: Bryn Lloyd-Bollard | bryn.lloydbollard@1199.org | 732-606-5949
Stuart Marques | stuart.marques@1199.org | 917-273-6194

Amid industry pushback, workers and advocates say reform is needed more than ever

The meeting of the Public Health and Health Policy Council (PHHPC) will be livestreamed at 10AM here: https://www.health.ny.gov/events/webcasts

Albany/New York –On Thursday, nursing home workers, members of 1199SEIU, will call for full and swift implementation of the package of nursing home reform laws signed by Gov. Hochul earlier this year. Initially passed by the legislature in 2021, the reforms include provisions that require nursing homes to meet minimum staffing levels of 3.5 hours per resident per day and spend at least 70% of revenue on resident care.

The Public Health and Health Policy Council (PHHPC) unanimously approved regulations to implement the laws on November 17, but have since faced intense pushback from nursing home owners. 1199SEIU members are attending the PHHPC meetings in Albany and New York City today to oppose the industry’s calls to weaken the laws protecting nursing home residents and staff. Currently, NYS ranks 44th in the nation for nursing home staffing with annual staff turnover nearing 50%.

"The pandemic shined a light on the critical need for these staffing laws. That's why the legislation was overwhelmingly passed and signed back in 2021! Now is the time to ensure the laws are implemented,” said Jacquelle Pinnock, a CNA at the Parker Jewish Institute in Queens. “There is no time to wait!”

"We fought hard for these laws and we need them to now be enforced. We are losing staff because we work short. We need to start enforcing these laws to keep caregivers at the bedside,” said Lisa Johnson, an LPN at Collar City Nursing Home in Schaghticoke.

Richard Romero, a veteran CNA at Shaker Place in Albany (formerly the Albany County Nursing Home) said, "We are losing staff because we work short. We need to start enforcing these laws to keep caregivers at the bedside."

1199SEIU’s support for fully implementing nursing home reform in New York State comes on the heels of Attorney General Tish James announcement last week of a major lawsuit against an upstate nursing home operator and its related companies for siphoning off millions in Medicaid funds, failing to hire sufficient staff, and making egregious decisions that allowed COVID-19 to run rampant through the facility. Absent reform to improve transparency and standards in the industry, these types of practices will continue, advocates say.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 450,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.