Demonstrators protest racism following confrontation involving Winthrop Hospital nurse

A group of demonstrators protested across from Southside Hospital Saturday, calling for the Northwell Health CEO to discuss how racism and inequality can be addressed.

News 12 Staff

Jul 11, 2020, 4:25 PM

Updated 1,555 days ago

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A group of demonstrators protested across from Southside Hospital Saturday, calling for the Northwell Health CEO to discuss how racism and inequality can be addressed.
The organizer, Bobby Smith, tells News 12 they were in Bay Shore for, "unmasking racism in health care and the inequalities they say exist in health care for patients and employees."
Smith says they want to talk to the CEO of Northwell Health, Michael Dowling, about how those inequalities can be addressed not just at Southside, but at all Northwell Hospitals.
News 12 has also learned that a nurse at Winthrop Hospital was recently fired following an incident that happened in West Babylon. A viewer sent News 12 a picture of a woman, identified as Doreen Bennett, making an obscene gesture with both hands and yelling racial slurs to a woman and her realtor, both who are Black, while they were looking at a home.
News 12 is told that after the two walked out of the home, Bennett also started to spray water from her hose in their direction and yelled "pro-Trump."
A spokesperson from Winthrop Hospital says in a statement, "After an investigation into the situation, the employee in question has been terminated. Racist behavior, on the part of any of the hospital's employees, will not be tolerated whether inside our facilities or in the community. Such behavior is inconsistent with our values."
The organizer of the protest says they plan to be out front of the hospital until 5 p.m. and every Saturday after until they can talk to the CEO of Northwell Health.
News 12 reached out to Bennett, the prospective homeowner and the realtor for comment.
A Northwell Health spokesperson told News 12 in a statement, "Northwell Health investigated an apparent online conversation involving a Southside Hospital employee and nursing student who was advocating racist views. Understandably, the comments caused hurt, pain and anger among those who saw them. The views expressed were disturbing and have no place in our organization. The employee who was under investigation is no longer with the health system. Northwell condemns and does not tolerate any form of hate, racism, discrimination and harassment. We want to emphasize that all Northwell institutions provide the same high-quality health care to all patients regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or any other personal facet. As part of Northwell Health’s commitment to underserved communities, the health system has been offering free diagnostic and antibody testing at 55 churches in the hardest-hit locales throughout the New York Metro region since mid-May. It’s also worth noting that Northwell was recently named the best health system for diversity in the United States, according to the latest DiversityInc ranking of Top Hospitals and Health Systems."