OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg met with union representatives Wednesday to go over the major changes in store for the hospital. One union leader says she’s feeling cautiously optimistic.
Facing $30 to $50 million worth of debt, Claxton-Hepburn announced Tuesday it will continue to run the 40-bed mental and behavioral health facility there, but a majority of the services will be leased out and operated by Carthage Area Hospital.
The changes will make the leased facility a critical access hospital, which will get it a more favorable reimbursement rate from the government.
In exchange, it cuts the number of acute care beds at Claxton from 87 to 25.
CEO Rich Duvall says if approved, the move would make it the first of its kind in New York state, though similar changes have been made to a few hospitals country-wide.
“All of which have been approved. All of which are performing better than they were under the former model,” he said.
The move ensures Claxton-Hepburn continues paying its employee and retiree pensions.
Union representatives met with the hospital board Tuesday to discuss the changes.
North Country 1199 SEIU Area Vice President Mary Wilsie made it clear the union has some trust issues. In June 2022, 41 union members who worked at Claxton were laid off after the hospital outsourced its billing department. The union has about 200 members currently working at the facility.
“Being told for two years that our members would not lose jobs, and at the end of that it was our members that lost their jobs,” said Wilsie.
Duvall has this message to the facility’s 500 to 600 employees: “We commit to doing everything we can to make this transfer as seamless as possible, and to make you and your benefits, and your pay equal to or better than what you’re already receiving today.”
Wilsie says she’s cautiously optimistic that is the case and despite past incidents, she says the union will support the change if it means Claxton will continue to serve the community.
“We’re going to be as supportive as we can be, but we’re also going to be leary and ready to deal with any other situations that may arise,” she said.
Duvall says it could be a few months before the state approves the plan.
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