Lenox Hill Hospital, part of Northwell Health, plans to lay off more than 30 EMTs and paramedics within about 30 days while scaling back its ambulance fleet. Three units that currently handle 911 calls from West 72nd Street through Washington Heights will be removed, which frontline staff warn could mean longer response times. Five ambulances will remain in service, focused on Harlem and the Upper East Side.
The hospital says the cuts follow a strategic reassessment within the FDNY’s broader EMS network and aim to streamline operations. The move comes amid citywide financial strain on hospitals and warnings that New York’s healthcare system could lose about 8 billion dollars annually under new federal policies. Advocates and labor groups say reducing hospital based ambulances will add pressure to an already stretched 911 system. Northwell implemented similar reductions in Queens and Staten Island last year, and new city rules that direct patients to the nearest hospital may also be influencing deployment plans.
- https://eastsidefeed.com/odds-and-ends/lenox-hill-hospital-to-lay-off-ems-workers-scale-back-ambulance-services/