Over 200 Surprise Layoffs at Brookdale Hospital

240 employees at Brooklyn's Brookdale Hospital returned to work from the weekend to discover that they no longer had jobs. The layoffs came as a surprise to the doctors, nurses and workers who received pink slips today. The workers' union staged an impromptu rally outside the Brownsville hospital, insisting that patient safety is being compromised and expressing fears that the hospital will close down. Brookdale officials did not address any rumors of its potential demise, but did say that there will also be a hiring freeze. They blamed the cuts on "inadequate reimbursements, larger numbers of uninsured patients and unreasonable and well-documented abusive practices by a number of health insurers and managed care organizations, with little external relief expected." Governor Paterson has been on the defensive about his proposed health care cuts in the current budget crunch.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Billy Parker in News on March 16, 2009 5:11 PM

brookdale hospital

Comments [rss]

Kia

before i stepped foot out of the hospital that is. The guards already knew what was going on

Kia

Preview

I went to brookdale hospital once and it was the worst treatment I ever experiences. The doctor was very unprofesional, she talked down to be to the point of disbelief. She almost had me in tears, needless to say. I left without treatment because I could not bear it any longer. Not only that but patient confidentiality is non existant there since the security guards knew what was going on with me before i stepped foot into the hospital. I'm sure that there are good people there and I feel sorry for then. No one deserve to come to work in the morning only to find out that that job is no longer. That's just bad business BUT!! I do know that Brookdale is a VERY shitty hospital.

Kia

I went to brookdale hospital once and it was the worst treatment I ever experiences. The doctor was very unprofesional, she talked down to be to the point of disbelief. She almost had me in tears, needless to say. I left without treatment because I could not bear it any longer. Not only that but patient confidentiality is non existant there since the security guards knew what was going on with me before i stepped foot into the hospital. I'm sure that there are good people there and I feel sorry for then. No one deserve to come to work in the morning only to find out that that job is no longer. That's just bad business BUT!! I do know that Brookdale is a VERY shitty hospital.

ugh

I hate unions in the hospital environment . Employees do the bare minimum of what is required and no more, just enough not to get fired.

Nyctini11

Isn't this the same hospial that left someone for dead in a waiting area??? I only hear bad things about this place, certainly wouldn't wanna go there if i had any say. Majority of these people don't give a damn and haven't done a good job, they're cutting the waste, good for them. Tired of people doing shitty jobs and getting to keep them, ESPECIALLY unionized people, like the Union gives them the right to be lazy & ungrateful.

mag

Brookdale Hospital is a vital community health care resource, with one of the busiest (and best) ERs in NYC. The layoffs were forced upon its management by drastic NYS budget cuts and consistent underpayments by unregulated health insurance companies. The staff cuts were unavoidable if the Hospital is to remain solvent. And it was King's County where the woman was left to die on a day room floor, not Brookdale.

wtf246

Does it hurt to be that stupid?

Next time, get your facts straight before you post publically on a blog, it's less embarassing.

That was King's county.

Brooklynbobby

Unfortunately, the union DOES give them the right to be lazy and ungrateful. I used to supervise a union shop. I couldn't look crosseyed at anyone without a grievance being filed against me. That's why lazy people always go for the union jobs.