What Westchester has brought us

Dear Editor;

Regarding the explanation by Westchester Medical Center for eliminating 41 employees last week:

I’m bothered and puzzled about their claim of “eliminating redundancies as they begin to consolidate the inpatient services between the two campuses.”

Just exactly what impatient services are currently happening at the Mary’s Avenue Campus that they need to be concerned about “redundancy?” The answer is ... none! There are currently no impatient services at Mary’s Avenue. Those units were all closed, shifted over to the Kingston Campus over the course of a couple of years. There’s no gift shop. You can’t even get a hot meal at Mary’s Avenue, because all the kitchen staff was sent across the street or let go ... yup! More cuts as they “outsourced “the Dietary Department.

Also, I’m wondering why these cuts are necessary now, when the “next phase of consolidation” won’t happen for at least one to one and a half years. Employees have been hearing “a couple of years” for the last eight years at least!

Why doesn’t Westchester just admit that they went through every department at HealthAlliance, identified the dedicated employees who have served the longest (some for their entire careers), with the most experience, making the highest salaries, and then, practicing corporate cruelty to the ultimate, fired them.

Because no matter how many pretty little words they use to describe it, that’s exactly what they did.

This is what Westchester has brought to healthcare in our community.

Shame on them.

Cynthia Delavan

Port Ewen, N.Y.