Statement from HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD, on recent protests

How many senseless killings does it take to recognize that we all must fight racism at every level of our society?

HANYS and our member hospitals, health systems, nursing homes and affiliated providers dedicate ourselves daily to building a better healthcare system for all New Yorkers. Racism, discrimination and white privilege are fundamentally repugnant to our values and contrary to our mission of promoting health, providing community service and delivering care to all in need.

Our over 400,000 New York state healthcare workers don’t see race, religion or income when they hold a dying patient's hand or rally to save a patient’s life. They see a father, a daughter, a child who needs their care. We need to take this caring and undiscriminating set of values and figure out how to systematically and intentionally deconstruct the decades of bias, fear and hate that have festered to date in our society.

HANYS and the New York state healthcare community stand for a caring, inclusive society where all Americans have opportunity and protection regardless of their skin color. Our strength comes from our diversity; our future depends on dismantling the inequities in our society and racist beliefs in any form and at every level.

Substantial, lasting change is needed, and we are committed to doing our part. Together, we must make sure all New Yorkers and all Americans, regardless of skin color, can live without fear, thrive and pursue the American dream.

The Healthcare Association of New York State is the only statewide hospital and continuing care association in New York, representing nonprofit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies and other healthcare organizations.