Nelson Palacios, a member of NYC Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, checks in dozens of blood specimens every day at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn.

After years of decline, New York City’s public hospitals have emerged as the best in town, says the official accrediting agency. Union members who care for patients, clean operating rooms and keep vital medical records are proud that their work makes the Health and Hospitals Corp. number one.

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

During his administration Mayor Rudolph W. Guiliani was relentless in his efforts to close down municipal hospitals, which serve city residents who are low-income and uninsured. Those health care facilities, like Harlem Hospital, were falsely characterized by the administration as providing poor service and as many as 200 union members were laid off there.

District Council 37, Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420 and the affected communities fought even harder to keep the hospitals open.

Today, according to a recently completed survey by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), those hospitals are now rated as some of the best in the nation.

“I’m especially proud that Harlem Hospital is on that list,” said Local 420 President Carmen Charles. “It says a lot about the management and staff there, their dedication and spirit. They came back from the brink of death.”

Elmhurst Hospital Executive Director Pete Velez (left) shares plans with DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Hospital Employees Local 420 Carmen Charles (right) at the Queens hospital.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts recalled the campaign to save those city hospitals. “We had to fight hard to keep these hospitals open,” said Ms. Roberts. “That’s why I’m so proud about the results of the survey.”

The five hospitals cited in the survey are Harlem and Bellevue in Manhattan, Woodhull in Brooklyn, North Central Bronx Hospital and Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility on Roosevelt Island. In the survey, which was conducted last year, they received the highest scores of any hospitals in the city for their quality patient care and safety.

The five Health and Hospitals Corp. facilities earned an average score of 98, the highest score given. The average for private hospitals in New York City was 93. Only two of the 18 private hospitals surveyed in New York City received accreditation with full standards compliance, while all of the HHC hospitals studied did.

Operating Room Technician and Local 420 member Cicelia Mayers prepares the operating room for surgery at Harlem Hospital in Manhattan. Harlem is one of the five HHC institutions recently listed among the best in the nation by the official accrediting agency.

Nationwide, HHC compared favorably too. Coast-to-coast, only 12% of all hospitals received accreditation without recommendations for improvement — as all five HHC institutions surveyed did.

Over the last three years, HHC facilities have consistently exceeded the average JCAHO scores of all hospitals in New York City and nationwide. “We worked for about six months to make sure we were prepared for this evaluation,” said Lillian Lovick, a Clerical Associate IV, who works at Woodhull Hospital. “When I heard the results of the survey, it made me feel proud to work here,” said Barbara Robertson, a Local 420 member at Harlem Hospital.

“It’s a testament to all of you,” said Dr. Benjamin K. Chu, the president of the Health and Hospitals Corporation, at a meeting with local presidents and Lillian Roberts. “HHC is committed to providing patient-centered care of the highest quality. JCAHO’s accreditation decision confirms that our efforts are paying off.” Ms. Roberts, who met with Elmhurst

Hospital Executive Director Pete Velez and officials of other hospitals to discuss ways to increase career opportunities for members, praised all of the members whose work made the high scores possible.

“This was a team effort,” said Ms. Roberts. In addition to Locals 420 and 1549, the two largest in the hospitals, members of Locals 299, 371, 375, 436, 768, 924, 983, 1189, 1407 and 2627 make HHC successful.

Local 420 member and Dietary Aide Barbara Robertson is ready to roll with meals for patients at Harlem Hospital.

Housekeeping Aide and Local 420 member Gregory Rexach makes sure the floors at Harlem Hospital are spotless.