A well-known government initiative unveiled last summer in New York promised more than $1 billion in bonuses to aid in the retention of nurses and other healthcare workers.
However, an increasing number of nurses are now complaining that they received nothing in the way of bonuses to 7 On Your Side. So, Nina Pineda assisted with the compensation of some of the pandemic's unsung heroes.
In March 2020, COVID-19, a brand-new virus, was killing patients and filling hospitals. At significant New York hospitals, Marva Washington, a patient care worker, and Laura Cruz, a certified respiratory therapist, were both on the front lines. During the murky early stages of the global epidemic, they were overrun.
The First Bonuses Should Have Been Paid Out
The New York Department of Health refused to discuss specifics or acknowledge delays, but it did acknowledge that a system for employees to process claims is being developed. At the moment, there is no way for qualified healthcare workers to independently get in touch with the state or receive results.
The first bonuses should have been paid out, according to the Department of Health, and the second bonuses are currently being handled.
They warned that when the eligibility period has ended, processing claims may take more than three months. But shortly after 7 On Your Side got involved, Cruz and Washington received their payment, and the medical staff received an email.
The nurses each received their two incentives, totaling $3,000 each
Because of their dedication, both were eligible for the $1.2 billion Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus Program, which Governor Kathy Hochul announced.
It paid out up to $3,000 to any first responder who showed up over a six-month stretch in a row between October 1, 2021, and March 1, 2024. Marva and Washington claim they applied by the deadline of August 3 and haven't received anything in return.
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