This morning, March 19, 2020, the New York State Nurses’ Association (NYSNA) was put on notice by New York-Presbyterian (NYP) of its intent to transfer psychiatric care entirely from the Allen Hospital to NYP Gracie Square in order to convert the unit for the care of COVID-19 patients.
While we believe, along with the nurses of NYSNA, that the current pandemic is an extenuating circumstance given that all available hospital beds are expected to be needed for life-saving care, we, the community members who have fought since the beginning of 2018 to preserve this vital service in our area, are extremely concerned for the future of Allen Psych.
We join with NYSNA in demanding from NYP a written commitment to our community to reinstate Allen Psych intact within 60 days from the date of its closure.