Doctors Council/Service Employees International Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Media Contacts:

Jay Dean. jdean@doctorscouncil.org

Doctors Council Announces Results of Vote for Three Remaining Hospitals on Approving Tentative Agreement with New York Health + Hospitals‍

Doctors at remaining NYC Health + Hospitals facilities approved their contract, which secures salary increases and added leave time to improve retention‍

New York, NY — After several weeks of deliberation and two 3-day ballot processes conducted by a third party vendor, physician members of Doctors Council - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) at the remaining three facilities have voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached with New York Health and Hospitals (NYC H+H) and their affiliates. This month, physicians at Jacobi, North Central Bronx, and Harlem Hospital have all ratified their contracts with NYC H+H affiliate Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C. (PAGNY). Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C. (PAGNY) facilities South Brooklyn, Metropolitan, Lincoln and Kings County, the NYU facilities Woodhull, Henry J Carter, Cumberland and Coler, and the Mt. Sinai facilities Queens and Elmhurst ratified their contracts in January of this year.

The union made clear that winning contracts across H+H that meet the needs of doctors and the patients they serve was a priority. For doctors at the remaining three facilities that approved the tentative agreement, the new contract will be formalized and include salary incentives that take steps to address the crisis of short staffing and physician burnout impacting doctors across the NYC H+H system. ‍

“The ratification of the affiliate contracts across the city of New York puts us closer to our goal of recruiting and retaining qualified doctors and staff to provide the care our patients deserve. While we still have more work to do in achieving these goals, Doctors Council SEIU will continue to fight for its members and our patients, ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to high quality healthcare,” said Dr. Frances Quee, a pediatrician at H+H Gotham Health, Blevis and President of Doctors Council SEIU. “As a pediatrician serving patients in the Bronx, I know first hand the issues our patients face, and at a time when basic healthcare is under threat, we will continue to fight for them and their families and demand New York City invest in its healthcare system.”‍

Earlier this year, dozens of physicians, nurses and community supporters attended a City Council hearing to sound the alarm about deteriorating workplace conditions that threaten patient care. Despite serving the majority of New Yorkers, including the poorest and most marginalized families in the city, many doctors in city hospitals currently receive salaries well below market rates compared to their counterparts in the private sector – even factoring in the contract increases. Doctors Council members also underscored that extreme understaffing throughout H+H has led to physician burnout and higher rates of turnover, often resulting in breaks in continuity of care, longer wait times, and prolonged referral processes for city residents who need it most.

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