NYC Health + Hospitals physicians have reached a tentative agreement after postponing their previously planned strike.
More than 2,500 attending physicians at NYC Health + Hospitals had been negotiating for a new contract since September 2023, according to a Jan. 13 news release from Doctors Council-Service Employees International Union shared with Becker's.
The tentative agreement was reached with NYC Health + Hospitals and its affiliates, Physician Affiliate Group of New York and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which employ the physicians involved.
"Our physicians provide the high-quality care that our patients have come to expect at NYC Health + Hospitals," a system spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We are pleased that the Doctors Council and our affiliates have come to agreement that is fair to our physicians, while also addressing the shared goals of doctor recruitment and retention. This agreement will ensure that we can continue to serve all New Yorkers who require healthcare, without exception."
Key terms of the tentative agreement, according to the union, include:
- Base salary increases
- Recognition bonuses based on years of service and time worked on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Retention bonuses for designated specialties
- Restoration of cuts to sick leave hours
- A $12 million flexible physician compensation pool to provide for future market rate adjustments
The strikes were previously planned for Jan. 13 at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens and NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health.
"I am proud that this tentative agreement puts us on a path to enhance care — for our patients, our communities and the dedicated doctors they entrust," union President Frances Quee, MD, said in the release.