Montefiore did not respond in time for publication.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
The layoff news comes just a few months after the end of a bitter 41-day strike that began Jan. 12. On the picket lines, Montefiore nurses accused<\/a> management of doling out excessive corporate salaries, investing in wealthier suburbs over the Bronx and undermining patient care in an understaffed emergency room.<\/p>\n \u201cI deeply regret to inform you that your position will be eliminated 45 days from the date of this letter. During this time, the Medical Center will work closely with you to determine whether there are suitable positions that in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. Montefiore recognizes the commitment you have made to its patients and will work hard to make this transition easier for you. The Medical Center is very sorry it must take this action,\u201d said a letter sent to 12 nurses from human resources on May 28.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the July 12 termination date approaches, the nurses said they are unclear on the hospital\u2019s exact plans but believe their work will be performed by artificial intelligence software \u2014 and that they\u2019re horrified by the prospect.\u00a0<\/p>\n They expressed particular concern about the company Montefiore is allegedly working with, an\u00a0Arizona-based information tech company Datavant. The Bronx Times reached out to the company but did not hear back in time for publication.\u00a0<\/p>\n The nurses cited concerns about patient data security, pointing to the company\u2019s recent agreement to pay $900 million to settle<\/a> a class-action lawsuit for a data breach that allegedly had potential to expose patients\u2019 names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial account information, health information and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nurses also said they worried that patients\u2019 immigration statuses could be collected and accessed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They said Datavant is connected to the company Palantir, founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, which contracts with the U.S. government to create a data platform to track illegal immigrants and collaborate with ICE, according to reporting by Wired<\/a> and other outlets. <\/p>\n The Bronx Times was unable to confirm a direct connection between Datavant and Palantir, but concerns about patients\u2019 sensitive information were of top concern for the nurses\u2019 union.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marilyn Shuler spoke at the press conference and is one of the nurses laid off after 39 years at Montefiore across several departments.<\/p>\n Shuler\u2019s six years working in utilization review showed that nurses play a \u201cvital role\u201d in patient advocacy, as well as ensuring the hospital gets paid. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable that a machine can replace the experience and clinical judgment we have,\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Shuler said things began to change in her department soon after the strike. Their workflow changed without explanation, and colleagues informed their union representatives. About a month later, with no response from Montefiore management, her whole unit was notified of the layoffs, according to Shuler.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you eliminate an entire department without some transparency to your employees?\u201d she said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n In the Bronx, Shuler said many patients have complex needs and factors that affect their care and coverage, and determining whether an individual\u2019s care is medically necessary can be a sensitive judgment call.<\/p>\n \u201cThe majority of our cases are complex and don\u2019t fit a template,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen AI becomes the only basis for these decisions, our patients can fall through the cracks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Ajita Mathew, who has worked 36 years as a nurse and 20 years at Montefiore, said it was \u201cheartbreaking\u201d to see the department\u2019s work \u201creduced to a click.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Mathew, management has said Datavant is not actually AI, but has also not explained how the department will function going forward.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe were told that someone is going to be clicking the needed clinicals from the patient\u2019s chart, which is then sent to the payer,\u201d Mathew said. \u201cIt was not clear to us whether this task is to be done by a nurse or a machine.\u201d<\/p>\n Mathew and several others echoed the same concern about cutting nurses who care for Bronx patients.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe complicated cases are the ones the machine will get wrong.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Bronx elected officials on cutbacks<\/p>\n During the press conference, Aldebol called on Montefiore to stop the layoffs and engage nurses in conversations about AI. She said she was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d from both a labor and healthcare standpoint.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMontefiore has to respect the contract that they just negotiated,\u201d Aldebol said. \u201cWithout engaging in a meaningful discussion about these plans, they are clearly disrespecting the nurses, disrespecting the union and disrespecting the contract.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Other elected officials lamented the loss of Bronx union jobs, the alleged lack of conversation around the changes and the breakneck speed of AI implementation in general.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dinowitz said he has \u201clost track\u201d of how many times he has supported Montefiore nurses on the picket line, calling it \u201can endless battle.\u201d\u00a0But this time, he said he worried that the current layoffs might signify the beginning of a slippery slope.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf they\u2019re able to get away with this, with these 12 nurses, they\u2019re gonna keep doing it over and over again in every possible area,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Dinowitz said he is generally not opposed to implementing healthcare technology, \u201cBut we have to be very strong in making sure that new technology is not abused and is not used as a tool to cut costs, cut patient care, and make things worse than they are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf this is just the beginning, we gotta nip it in the bud,\u201d Dinowitz said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260128_155519.jpg\")
Council Member Shirley Aldebol (left) joined Montefiore nurses on the picket lines in January and February. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n