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The union representing workers at Columbia Memorial Health in Hudson is voicing strong opposition to the hospital's plan to reduce its number of hospital beds by 87 percent. The hospital aims to change its designation from a rural referral hospital to a critical access hospital, pending approval from state and federal regulators. This change would reduce the bed count from 192 to 25 for medical and surgical patients, with an additional 40 beds for behavioral health patients.
Columbia Memorial Health CEO Dorothy Urschel has stated that the hospital currently operates well below capacity, with only 35 to 50 beds occupied daily. She emphasized that there will be "no reduction in workforce," though some employees may be reassigned to other facilities within the Albany Med Health System, which oversees Columbia Memorial Health. Urschel described the change as "right-sizing" the Hudson campus to better align with current patient needs and to secure better Medicare reimbursement rates for financial stability.
Despite these assurances, the union is concerned about the impact on healthcare services and jobs. Greg Speller, executive vice president of the Hudson Valley and Capital Region 1199SEIU, stated that the union is "deeply troubled" by the proposed changes and is committed to fighting for good jobs and essential healthcare services in the region. Hudson's Mayor Kamal Johnson also expressed concern, stating that any loss of healthcare services or jobs is "completely unacceptable."
Columbia Memorial Health plans to host a town hall meeting on Wednesday (November 1) to discuss the changes and gather community input. The meeting will take place at the hospital's support services building at 4 p.m.