‘We need Mount Vernon Hospital.’ Nurses rally over cuts

Nurses rallied outside Mount Vernon Hospital demanding that the hospital should remain open and in full capacity to continue serving its community.
The nurses led a caravan to Montefiore Hospital in New Rochelle as well, some saying that they are concerned they might face cuts too.
Mount Vernon and New Rochelle have been two of the hardest hit communities in Westchester during the pandemic.
The nurses say this is not the time for hospital officials to be shutting down intensive care units and limiting patients’ admission to surgery, as they are in Mount Vernon.
“It's a travesty that Montefiore closed down a community hospital in such an underserved community,” says nurse Renee Pepper. “It’s beyond my comprehension.”
The nurses were joined by elected officials who say they want to see proper medical care in their community.
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard says that any plans to dismantle this medical facility are just wrong.
“We need Mount Vernon hospital,” he says. “We don't need to bring it back to what it was…”
The nurses say they are appealing to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to step in and put a stop to the cuts. They say they won't give up the fight until he does.