Local 2507 has been notified that Bellevue Hospital (H02) has been granted authorization for the intermittent diversion of patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies. We have been advised that Bellevue will remain subject to the existing requirements regarding reevaluation and must demonstrate the continued necessity for diversion every four hours.
Local 2507 is opposed to this decision and has serious concerns regarding the impact it may have on the safety of our members.
We recognize that diverting psychiatric patients from Bellevue will result in longer transport times to alternate 911-receiving hospitals, particularly for units operating in Midtown Manhattan, as well as any unit responding to assignments within Bellevue’s normal receiving area.
These extended transports are not simply an operational inconvenience. They potentially increase the amount of time our members are confined in the patient compartment with individuals who may be agitated, emotionally disturbed, unpredictable, or violent. Increasing transport distances and times may directly increase the opportunity for our members and the patients in their care to be injured.
Local 2507 strongly advises that transports involving emotionally disturbed persons (EDPs) require an NYPD escort. When transporting an EDP, members should request the appropriate NYPD resources and ensure that adequate assistance is available throughout the transport. If circumstances indicate that additional resources are necessary to safely manage the patient, members should request those resources and, when appropriate, await their arrival before proceeding.
No member should unnecessarily place themselves, their partner, or their patient at increased risk simply to compensate for a hospital diversion decision beyond their control. Operational pressures, unit availability, or extended transport times should never take precedence over member and patient safety.
Local 2507 will continue raising these concerns directly with the City and the Fire Department. Decisions affecting the 911 system cannot be evaluated solely on the needs of an individual hospital without considering the operational and safety consequences imposed on the EMS workforce responsible for absorbing those decisions.
We will continue to make clear that diverting psychiatric emergencies from a major receiving facility such as Bellevue may increase transport distances, prolong unit unavailability, place additional pressure on surrounding hospitals and EMS resources, and most importantly potentially expose our members to an increased risk of assault and injury.
We strongly urge the City, the Fire Department, and the appropriate hospital authorities to reconsider allowing Bellevue to divert this patient population and to fully account for the consequences this decision may have on the safety of our members and the patients we serve.
Until these concerns are adequately addressed, Local 2507 urges every member to prioritize safety, request an NYPD escort for EDP transports, and ensure appropriate resources are in place before undertaking a transport that may place themselves, their partner, or their patient at unnecessary risk.
The safety of our members cannot be an afterthought when decisions affecting patient destinations are made.