To ED Administration and Human Resources of Montefiore:

We, the undersigned Montefiore clinicians and staff, were shocked and dismayed by the draconian measures taken against one of our own colleagues, Joselyn Baez, by your offices.

Due to the overcrowding and extraordinarily unpleasant conditions within our Emergency Departments, as well as assorted dysfunctions of the admissions system and primary care deficits, our EDs are extremely stressful places for both patients and providers.

Additionally, with the upsurge in mental illness and the deteriorating conditions in our communities, we are besieged with patients and visitors who often vent their frustrations on the ED staff. Daily, these feelings translate into rampant disrespect, violent speech, threats and attacks, some of which result in physical injury; all of which result in psychological trauma to varying degrees.

In August, Joselyn was the victim of such a physical attack, causing injury to her person. Physical violence is serious! When it’s not the first time, and little is done to protect us by our Employer, subsequent attacks can serve as triggers. As we said during the Pandemic, “We may be super-heroes but we are not super-human.”

When an employee is attacked, professional or otherwise, that employee immediately becomes a patient and can no longer be treated as an employee. That worker requires rescue, support and treatment. Several of the ED staff that day did offer support, but the result of the trauma was beyond our capabilities and Ms. Baez was able to obtain more appropriate support from the OHS staff, away from the area of the attack. Subsequently, the patient was placed under arrest and the case is pending under the auspices of the Bronx District Attorney’s office.

Montefiore, rather than doing a meaningful investigation into how to better protect ED staff, instead chose to scrutinize Joselyn’s reaction to the attack! Except for her union and other coworkers, no one from administration reached out to her to see how she was recovering. Instead, she was placed on leave and months later, was told she would be terminated for an “unprofessional response.” She never caused any harm to her attacker while nursing her own wounds, but was clearly hurt and angered, which is completely understandable.

ED Staff all feel like sitting ducks, subject to the whims, behaviors and exasperations of our patients and visitors. We do not feel protected. We do not feel supported. And when Montefiore chooses to add insult to injury, to fire an employee who is attacked due to the hospital’s own negligence in creating a safe work space, the old adage “An attack against one is an attack against all” comes to mind.

We call for the immediate reinstatement of Ms. Baez and immediate moves to remediate the conditions that lead to these attacks and the dangers we are all in, simply by coming to work.

Sincerely,

****P.S.: After signing this petition, it brings you to a donation page. That donation is NOT a NYSNA related donation.****