Healthcare Workers Demand State Leaders Prioritize Healthcare Funding To Prevent Hospital, Clinic & Nursing Home Closures 
 

*** Photos, Video Ops, & One-on-One Interviews Available***

WHO:  Frontline healthcare workers from across the Rochester region who work in hospitals, nursing homes, homecare, clinics and other healthcare settings will join elected leaders including: New York State Senators, New York State Assemblymembers & Local Elected Officials

 

Coalition Partners include: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Regional, 1199SEIU, SEIU Local 200, and Rochester & Genessee Valley Labor Council. 

 

WHAT: Press Conference on the NYS 2026-2027 NYS Budget

 

WHEN: Friday, March 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

 

WHERE: Strong Memorial Hospital
Flaum Atrium (G-9500) at 415 Elmwood Ave 
(media parking in the Medical School lot) 

 

WHY?:  Frontline caregivers, union workers, faith leaders and community advocates are joining together declaring a “Code Red” for healthcare services in the Rochester Finger Lakes Region due to longstanding chronic challenges of low Medicaid reimbursements and the acute and severe impacts of H.R. 1 as NYS considers its 2026-2027 Budget.  Without state action, historic health care cuts in HR 1 will cause devastating harm to the state health care system.  The bill threatens to rip healthcare away from at least 17 million Americans–including 1.5 million New Yorkers. Nearly 200,000 people in Monroe county rely on Medicaid for their healthcare coverage. 

 

While the Governor’s budget proposal makes important healthcare investments and advances policy proposals intended to bolster hospitals, nursing homes, home care and clinics, additional investments are needed to deal with the unprecedented, multi-year challenges driven by H.R. 1 and other damaging fiscal policies.  Rochester area leaders will urge state legislators to strengthen the budget, protecting healthcare for all New Yorkers. State leaders must stabilize NY’s healthcare system by providing critical investments in nursing homes, homecare, hospitals, safety net facilities, and clinics.

 

Unless states like New York act to mitigate its impact, HR 1 risks healthcare for thousands of underrepresented people, clinics, and nursing homes to close, creating longer wait times and higher costs for everyone. New York State and its hospitals alone will lose $13.5 billion a year, risking availability of care and services, and threatening jobs in our community.  Potential service closures will increase distance required to travel for care, as 8 southern tier hospitals are at risk of closure as well as one in four nursing homes.

 

The Rochester-Finger Lakes region has suffered from a significant shortage of acute care hospital beds for many years. Over the last two decades, we have had three hospitals close in our region and have the fewest beds per 1,000 population in NYS and among the lowest in the nation too. Service line and facility closures have already impacted people in the Western New York healthcare system.  In recent years, both Weinberg Campus and Eastern Niagara Hospital have closed because of low Medicaid reimbursement rates. Over the last few months, healthcare employers have cut back on services, closing clinics and downsizing units at Kaleida Health, the largest private employer in Western New York.  Erie County Medical Center recently cut more than 150 jobs, preparing for long-term effects of HR 1. 

 

The joint coalition of labor and healthcare employers will gather to demand that Albany leaders fill a $2 billion hole left by Federal Medicaid cuts ahead of a massive rally planned later this month in the state capitol.  Thousands of healthcare workers from every corner of the state will descend on Albany this March 19 in a massive display of unity to demand New York leaders fund healthcare.  Healthcare jobs and services for the Rochester community are at risk if Albany does not act now.

 

 

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.