The COVID-19 pandemic placed extraordinary stress on the nation’s and New York’s healthcare system. Today, New York’s hospitals remain in crisis. They face a national healthcare worker shortage, uncontrollable expense increases, fewer places to safely discharge patients, concurrent public health crises, stagnant infrastructure and market changes that leave hospitals increasingly serving only the sickest and most vulnerable patients.
As a result of circumstances beyond their control, hospitals statewide need urgent help to sustain their services. According to a fall 2022 survey by New York’s state and allied regional hospital associations, New Yorkers are losing access to healthcare services amid escalating care delivery costs and persistent workforce shortages — and providers expect access to medical services to further deteriorate.
Conducted in fall 2022, the survey asked New York hospitals fiscal, nursing workforce, and patient volume questions for the period 2019 through projected 2022. Responses are from hospitals and health systems in all regions of the state with a participation rate that reflects over 90% of the annual revenue that New York hospitals and health systems generate. Data points on Medicaid and Medicare volume and payment are from hospital cost reports. “Unsustainable” margin levels reflect a standard from Kaufman Hall. This survey was a joint effort of the Healthcare Association of New York State, Greater New York Hospital Association, Healthcare Association of Western and Central New York, Iroquois Healthcare Association and Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State.