A coalition of New York City unions, including AFSCME’s DC 37, helped stop privatization of dialysis services at four public hospitals by a for-profit operator with a questionable quality-of-care record.
The recent announcement that New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is terminating its proposed contract with Big Apple Dialysis, is viewed as a victory for dialysis patients, whose health was threatened by the loss of high-quality public care.
Henry Garrido, executive director of New York City’s largest public employee union, DC 37, was among the labor leaders who urged the state and city to reject the sale of HHC’s renal dialysis clinics in Harlem, Kings County, Lincoln and Metropolitan hospitals. In earlier comments, he said Big Apple Dialysis’ bid should be rejected “because its high mortality rates are a direct threat to dialysis patients’ lives and run counter to HHC’s mission to provide quality health care.”
A quality review of Big Apple’s facilities found that 42 percent had experienced "worse than expected" standardized mortality ratios. Big Apple’s health care record was a major concern to public officials, including City Council’s Health Committee Chairman Corey Johnson and Public Advocate Leticia James.
Commenting on HHC’s projection that the sale would save it $80 million over four years, Johnson said “$80 million will be saved on the backs of poor patients who need dialysis.”
Big Apple's application to operate dialysis clinics was pending before the state Public Health and Health Planning Council, which was expected to vote on the deal in May. Before it could, HHC, a public benefit corporation, announced on Thursday that it was terminating the deal with Big Apple, part of a company called Atlantic Dialysis.
In addition to DC 37, the coalition working to prevent the sale of the dialysis programs included the New York State Nursing Association, the Doctors Council, and a grassroots coalition of public health advocates and patients.