Negotiations between Mount Sinai Hospital and the union representing its nurses have hit a wall. According to the union, the New York State Nurses Association, which represents 1,900 Mount Sinai nurses, talks broke down Friday after the union announced its intention to picket March 11. At that point, the union contends hospital officials canceled three negotiating sessions set for this month.

The nursing contract expired December 31, and negotiations have stalled over wages and a plan by the hospital to reclassify how it counts paid time off.

In an e-mail message, a hospital spokeswoman said the hospital was ready to negotiate, and that the union broke off negotiations. She said the hospital offered a ratification bonus of $575 to each nurse and a 3% wage increase for each year of a three-year contract.

A union spokesman, Mark Genovese, said a strike has not been ruled out, but union officials prefer to “see this play out at the negotiation table first.”

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EYE DOCTOR CRITICIZES WIDELY USED DRUG GUIDE

An eye doctor at Mount Sinai’s School of Medicine has written an editorial in a medical journal that sharply criticizes a popular drug guide.

In last month’s issue of the Survey of Ophthalmology, Dr. Joel Mindel argued that newer versions of the Physician’s Desk Reference exclude information about older drugs and generic medications. Physicians often consult the guide, published annually for six decades, to check a drug’s recommended strength or dosage.

Dr. Mindel, who said the PDR is “like the Bible,” said he was so disgusted with its content that he tore up a recent renewal request. Representatives from Thomson Healthcare, the book’s publisher, did not immediately comment.

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PUBLIC HOSPITAL SYSTEM TO FOCUS ON QUALITY AGENDA

The city’s public hospital system aims to expand its quality and safety initiatives in 2008, the system’s president told board members last week.

The president of the Health and Hospitals Corp., Alan Aviles, outlined several initiatives, including efforts to reduce hospital-based infections.

Mr. Aviles said HHC was looking to redesign its nine neonatal intensive care units to reduce excess noise and light; expand a monitoring program for diabetics, and report data on how well HHC helps diabetics manage their disease.

The 11-hospital system also seeks to enroll 23,000 New Yorkers in smoking cessation programs, screen at least 20,000 New Yorkers for colon cancer, and test more than 160,000 patients for HIV.

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PARKWAY HOSPITAL EMERGES FROM BANKRUPTCY

Parkway Hospital in Queens emerged from bankruptcy last week, nearly three years after it filed for Chapter 11 protection.

As part of its reorganization plan, the hospital aims to reduce the length of patient stays and improve emergency room turnaround.

Parkway was one of five hospitals recommended for closure in 2006 by the Berger Commission. A hospital spokesman said the facility is negotiating with the state Department of Health to reconfigure itself.

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STUDY: N.Y. NURSING HOMES PROVIDING MORE SHORT-TERM CARE

Nursing homes in New York increasingly are providing short-term care for individuals recuperating from a hospital stay, according to a report by the United Hospital Fund.

Between 1996 and 2005, the number of patients staying in a nursing home for less than two months more than tripled, to 135,000 in 2005, up from 39,000 in 1996. There were 649 nursing facilities in New York in 2006, down from 655 in 1996.

The report outlines several reasons for the change, including financial pressure on hospitals.

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HEALTH FOUNDATION RECRUITS A BERGER COMMISSION AUTHOR

The New York State Health Foundation has named an author of the Berger Commission report, David Sandman, as its senior vice president, the group announced yesterday. In his new role, Mr. Sandman will focus on programs to expand insurance coverage and reduce health care costs. He also will oversee a portion of the foundation’s grants.

Mr. Sandman previously served as executive director of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, a state commission that in 2006 recommended closure for nine hospitals statewide and five in New York City. Since completing that work, Mr. Sandman has served as managing director of Manatt Health Solutions.

esolomont@nysun.com