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Upstate Medical nurses to receive GEO pay raises

Upstate Medical University will offer pay increases to RNs and, for the first time, to LPNs.

In all, 1,481 RNs and 125 LPNs will receive the geographical area pay differential (GEO). GEO raises will allow Upstate to be more competitive with nursing salaries. The raises will be paid to eligible nursing staff in addition to their base pay, and are calculated based on years of service, experience and education.

This is Upstate’s third RN GEO adjustment in the last four years. Previously, RN’s received a GEO raise in 2019 and 2021.

The GEO raise will provide between $9,000 and $14,187 annually for PEF-represented RNs and $7,000 annually for CSEA-represented LPNs. This 2022 GEO raise is in addition to GEOs received previously. The increase will allow Upstate to recruit and retain nurses who are instrumental in the high-level of care patients receive at its hospitals.

Upstate Medical President Mantosh Dewan, MD, said, “Upstate nurses are at the core of care we provide our patients. Not only do Upstate nurses deliver medical care, they also lift up families during difficult hospitalizations and provide leadership throughout this top-tier academic medical institution—one that has proven itself to be essential to our Central New York community.”

PEF President Wayne Spence said, "As I've said for years, PEF's goal is to increase the compensation and benefits package of state nurses to retain and attract skilled professionals to public service. This is one more step that the president of SUNY Upstate Medical University is taking to move in that direction."

CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan, said, "I want to thank Dr. Dewan and the hospital leadership team for their efforts to include LPNs in this GEO pay, but I believe the inclusion of CSEA represented LPNs in SUNY Upstate's latest round of GEO pay would not have happened without the tremendous leadership and activism of CSEA Local President Ali Cottrell.  This really was a great example of CSEA and local management working together to improve the lives of CSEA members.  Congratulations to all in this effort."

Upstate University Hospital Chief Executive Officer Robert Corona, DO, MBA, said, “Upstate nurses have been at the front-line of this pandemic for over two years. They show up and give it their best for all of our patients. They have shown courage, a sense of duty, and resilience while keeping their sense of humor and compassion intact despite making tremendous personal sacrifices. We are all so grateful for all they do every day. We will continue to strive to improve their lives.”

Chief Nursing Officer Scott Jessie, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, said, “We are thrilled to be able to offer our nurses this geographic pay increase. The past two years have created incredible turmoil for the healthcare workforce and staffing challenges have been truly unprecedented. Our team of RNs and LPNs have continued to provide phenomenal care despite all of these challenges. This new GEO package—along with our ongoing commitment to some of the best nurse-to-patient ratios in the region—will help us recruit new staff and retain the incredibly dedicated and talented team we have now. There is no more rewarding career than nursing and no better place to practice than at Upstate.”

The region’s largest employer with nearly 11,000 employees, Upstate Medical University is the only academic medical center in Central New York, serving the state from Canada to Pennsylvania. A highlight of Upstate’s leading role in the region is its ability to ensure access to vital one-of-a-kind services, such as burn and trauma care, a state-designation Comprehensive Stroke Center, and an array of highly specialized cancer and neurosurgical and pediatric services through its 715-bed Upstate University Hospital, which includes Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. In addition to its clinical mission, Upstate, which is part of the State University of New York system, enrolls 1,600 students and offers degrees in medicine, nursing and a variety of health professions, and conducts more than $39 million in funded research annually.

 

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