St. John's Episcopal Hospital (SJEH) is currently the only hospital serving both the Five Towns of Nassau County and the entire Rockaway Peninsula, plus Broad Channel and Howard Beach. As workers of SJEH and concerned community residents in the hospital's catchment area, we beseech that you get involved to save SJEH and spare our community another devastating loss.
Back in May, employees of SJEH and leadership of Union 1199 went to
Albany to meet with the Department of Health (DOH). The focus of this visit was to get the support of the DOH in expanding services at the hospital and access to much needed funds. The DOH expressed grave concerns for the financial viability of SJEH and stated a lack of confidence in Pitts Management's ability to move the hospital forward as a premier health care facility. The DOH strongly recommended that SJEH affiliate with a stable health care system in order to survive.
Pitts Management has proven that the interests of the Rockaways are not their own. North Shore-LlJ (NS-LIJ),is interested in making a proposal to SJEH but Pitts Management has shut the door in their face. NSLIJ has a strong track record both in New York City and on Long lsland of turning around hospitals having financial difficulties and better servicing the patient population. The employees of SJEH deem the behavior of Pitts Management reckless for turning their backs on one of the best. Pitts' leadership stated that they are having conversations with Catholic Health Services (CHS). The caregivers and community stakeholders of SJEH have grave concerns about any affiliation with CHS. Many of their hospitals closed over the last decade and CHS has little experience with hospital mergers.

Most of the workers and physicians live in these communities and bring their loved ones to SJEH for care. We cannot and will not let Pitts Management put their own interests ahead of those of the affected Nassau County/Rockaway communities. The Five Towns, Broad Channel, Howard Beach and the Rockaway peninsula deserve quality health care and we have every intention of fighting not only for the survival of our hospital but to see it as part of a premier health care system.

P.G., MD, a long time physician in the area, recently wrote this:  "SJEH is in serious trouble. Pitts Management does not want to lose the $3 million it gets annually to (mis)manage the hospital. I would hope that the NYSDOH will step in and declare SJEH a safety-net hospital which would mean that the state would temporarily fund and manage the hospital until it recovers. Otherwise Rockaway is in danger of losing its one remaining hospital. I find it highly doubtful that any health system would want to take on SJEH's debt and monthly operating loss. "

Long Beach Hospital is still closed due to Superstorm Sandy, and may never open again.  South Nassau Communities Hospital is overwhelmed because of the closed hospitals.

We need help.  WE NEED IT NOW!