Northwell Health’s Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City plans to eliminate 18 emergency medical services positions and shut down three 911 units, Emergency Medical Services Public Advocacy Council confirmed to Becker’s.
The affected employees were notified Oct. 6 that they could transition to in-hospital roles or apply for positions at other sites. On Oct. 7, Northwell confirmed the closure of the three 911 units, according to an Oct. 8 EMSPAC briefing that was posted on Facebook. New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health’s Lenox Hill Hospital contributes eight total ambulance units to the Fire Department of the City of New York’s emergency medical services system.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, a spokesperson for Northwell said a decision was made to “modify a limited number of unit assignments” following an evaluation of the health system’s ambulance utilization and deployment within the FDNY EMS system.
“This adjustment is intended to further optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations within the greater New York metropolitan community, while reinforcing our continued position as one of the largest and most reliable providers of emergency medical services in the region,” the spokesperson said.
In its briefing, EMSPAC raised public safety concerns about the cuts, saying they will further increase response times as FDNY EMS faces staffing shortages.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:18 p.m. Central time on Oct. 15.
