Schenectady Coalition for Healthcare Access

07/19/2026

https://www.timesunion.com/health/article/what-would-albany-med-expansion-ellis-mean-22344867.php

The potential deal is raising new questions about Albany Med’s rapid expansion in a region with fewer and fewer independent healthcare practices.

07/06/2026

Are you as tired of hearing about cuts to medical services in Upstate as we are? Help yet another community fighting the fight. Sign their petition!

Save Columbia Memorial Hospital From Being Downsized To Critical Access

07/06/2026

Daniel Pickett III was appointed president and CEO of the Albany Med Health System in December. He previously served as president and CEO of aptihealth.

06/20/2026

We have no doubt that the Ellis' Board of Trustees cares very deeply about our community and has worked very hard to sustain our local hospital during incredibly tough times. We appreciate and support their decision to search for a partner beyond St. Peter's-Trinity. Join us in sending a message to Ellis' Board to choose a new partner that will not impose religious restrictions or move critical care outside of the community. Sign our petition at https://forms.gle/xhpm5Ueqi1i6nd5f6

The two hospitals have been working on a merger for several years.

06/07/2026

Sign the Petition to let Ellis and the NYS Department of Health know that we don't want the religious restrictions at Ellis, and we don't want Ellis downsized or services moved out of our county when it joins a bigger system. Sign here: https://forms.gle/xhpm5Ueqi1i6nd5f6

04/02/2026

Sign the petition: https://my assembly.gov/mem/Angelo-Santabarbara/story/117446

03/05/2026

We are aware that a Letter to the Editor was published in today’s DG inferring that the Ellis/SPHP merger has already been finalized. To clarify, the MERGER HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE. As of this writing, the Certificate of Need (CON) has not been submitted to the NYS Department of Health. The entire merger process has lacked transparency and that continues to be of grave concern to SCHA and the entire Capital Region community. Follow this page for merger updates. Thank you.

03/03/2026

Join our community-led Health Equity Impact Assessment initiative!!! First meeting is this Thursday at 6-7pm by zoom.

The purpose of the community-led HEIA is to identify gaps in services, communication and transportation that will result from the merger between Ellis Medicine and St. Peter's Health Partners and will create negative impacts on traditionally marginalized groups like women, elderly, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, people with low income or are under/uninsured, etc.

We need folks to be community outreach people (asking people to complete a survey at farmer’s markets and community events or through social media), interviewers (talk to real people about how they would be affected), transportation obstacle identifiers, demographic researchers, data analyst, online survey designer and analyst. Just DM us if you'd like to join this effort.

02/25/2026

⚠️Wait… Could this happen here? We are sounding the alarm about Schenectady's Ellis Medicine merging with a Catholic hospital system. 

Ellis Medicine (Ellis Hospital +, Bellevue Woman’s Center is merging with St. Peter’s Health Partners, part of Trinity Health, a billion-dollar, Michigan based, mega-health system with 90+ hospitals across the country.

🏥What’s at stake with this merger:

❤️ Reproductive health services

❤️ Sterilization & family planning

❤️ LGBTQ+ gender-affirming care

❤️ End-of-life care

❤️ Miscarriage & high-risk pregnancy management

❤️ Assisted reproductive technology

❤️ Contraception coverage through hospital employment

Follow us & share this post to friends could be impacted or want to spread the word. 

Sign our Petition in our link in bio