Albany, NY – A coalition of state legislators representing the Capital Region, including Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Assemblymember Phil Steck, and Assemblyman Scott Bendett have penned a letter to the state Department of Health (DOH) calling for greater accountability at Albany Medical Center (Albany Med). The letter points to repeated violations found at Albany Med that jeopardize the safety and quality of care for both staff and patients at the hospital.

“Albany Medical Center has to do better for its staff and for the people of the Capital Region,” said Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero. “I’ve listened to the nurses’ concerns about understaffing, I’ve seen the DOH reports – this is a deeply worrying situation and it needs to be addressed. We’re coming up on a year since the DOH findings and we don’t have any substantive change. It’s long past time to act.”

Nurses at Albany Med have raised serious concerns about the lack of adequate staffing, and DOH found more than 500 staffing law violations at Albany Med last year. In a report published on July 25, 2024, DOH found numerous safety violations and a lack of coordination with nurses, as well as an overall lack of transparency. A December 2024 letter to Albany Med from DOH Commissioner Johanne E. Morne, MS, noted that due to its extensive violations, the Department would refer the matter for administrative enforcement. Yet the Department has yet to act as of May 2025, leading legislators to call for accountability for the nursing staff and patients at Albany Med.

Assemblyman Santabarbara said, “I’m deeply concerned by the ongoing failure to address the dangerous staffing shortages at Albany Medical Center. Safe, quality care is not optional—it’s a fundamental right for every patient and every family in our community. With over 500 staffing violations identified, it's clear that urgent action is needed. I’m calling on the Department of Health to enforce the law, hold Albany Medical Center accountable, and send a strong message that no hospital is above the rules designed to protect patients and support our dedicated nurses."

Assemblymember Steck said, "Albany Med has the longest ER wait times of any hospital in the State. People have died. EMS technicians in my district have complained about waiting three hours before they are able to deliver patients to the ER. When they are tied up waiting, it means they are not fully available to serve my constituents. The Governor and her agencies can no longer wait to implement safe staffing and to hold Albany Med accountable for its poor practices. The public has to come first before the claims of hospital administrators.”

Assemblyman Bendett said, “Ensuring the health and safety of both patients and frontline healthcare workers should never be up for debate. The findings from the Department of Health point to deeply troubling, systemic issues at Albany Medical Center that demand immediate action. As a representative of the Capital Region, I stand with my colleagues in calling for full accountability and meaningful reform. Our nurses deserve a safe working environment, and our community deserves a standard of care that reflects the critical role Albany Med plays in our region.”

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center, who have been calling attention to the staffing crisis that puts patient care at risk for over a year and a half, are glad our legislators take this issue just as seriously as we do. We need the DOH to listen to nurses and legislators and hold Albany Med accountable because patient safety in the capital region is at risk. Patients are waiting far too long for care, and our nurses are at their breaking point. We need action now.”

The letter can be found here.