It is heartbreaking and infuriating to witness what’s happening at NewYork-Presbyterian. A hospital once known for its excellence in care is now laying off a significant portion of its frontline staff—people who have worked tirelessly through pandemics, short staffing, and unimaginable conditions. These layoffs are reportedly tied to a legal settlement involving doctors who abused their positions and patients, yet we—the ones who had nothing to do with those actions—are paying the price.
Every day feels like a countdown. We show up to work wondering, “Is today the day I’m let go?” The stress is unbearable. How are we supposed to focus on healing others when our own lives are in limbo? How are we expected to provide compassionate care while silently suffering under the weight of uncertainty, fear, and betrayal?
This isn’t just affecting our work—it’s affecting our families, our health, and our lives. The leadership needs to understand that we’re not just names on a spreadsheet. We’re human beings. We have dedicated years—decades in some cases—to this institution. And now we’re being discarded without a second thought.
To make matters worse, one director at a campus reportedly said, “If you received ‘meets expectations’ on your evaluations, you should be worried.” What kind of message is that to send to dedicated employees? Since when is doing your job not good enough to keep it?
The media needs to be outside these hospitals. The public deserves to know how NYP treats its employees behind closed doors. The executives may be sitting comfortably in their offices, untouched by the chaos they’ve created, but the people who keep this hospital running are the ones paying the ultimate price.
We need accountability. We need transparency. And above all, we need justice for the frontline workers who deserve better.