08/29/2025
Letter from a community member:
The article in The Ithaca Voice is infuriating. I have taken the liberty to contact the author and give him a piece of my mind. He did not respond. I hope that's because he is embarrassed and ashamed of his wrongdoing.
The article you published about union contract negotiations between Cayuga Nursing and Rehabilitation and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is biased, asinine, and a flagrant misrepresentation of the facility and management.
You clearly lack a fundamental understanding of nursing home operations, and the political and arbitrary methodology that underpins New York State Department of Health assessments. It is also evident you did not do due diligence in selecting informants. I would not trust ——— with my laundry. ——— would have probably been fired long ago if it were not for the union intervention.
Did you interview anyone else? Anyone in the Therapy or Activity department? How about a resident who lives there? Have you even been inside the building? Are you familiar with the state mandated staff-resident ratio? Did you verify claim of understaffing? Are you familiar with what an actual one star nursing home is like? Of course not.
You want to know what I think? I think you actively sought out information to support the false narrative you already conceived, devoid of knowledge, experience, or perspective. Cayuga Nursing and Rehabilitation is the absolute best nursing home to live in and work at. Shame on you for being so reckless with their reputation.
Your indolence does not only undermine the credibility of and public trust in The Ithaca Voice, it further threatens the survival of local journalism and newspapers.
-Chrysta Elliot
* Employee names/identifiers have been redacted to protect their privacy
