May 21, 2026
Courtenay Harris Bond/PhillyVoice
Nurses Carla Le'coin Jordan and Stephanie Stucka protest outside Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital on Thursday about proposed cuts to pediatric care and contract issues.
Nurses demonstrated outside Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital on Thursday morning as part of an ongoing protest about planned cuts to pediatric care, among other issues.
Jefferson Health is in the process of closing four pediatric practices, including one at the North Philly hospital, and transitioning three others to True North Pediatrics, which operates several mostly suburban practices. The practices were part of the Einstein Healthcare Network when Jefferson bought it in 2021.
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Carla Le'coin Jordan, who has worked with mothers and newborns at the hospital for 38 years, and other nurses said Jefferson Health is abandoning the community by closing some pediatric services and transitioning others to less accessible locations.
"One of the issues that breaks my heart is I care for moms and babies," Le'coin Jordan said. "After they deliver, I say, 'OK, where are you going to bring your little nugget for followup care?' Some of the moms are like, 'Oh, I'm going to come here.' There is no more here."
Le'coin is a member of Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, which represents about 1,200 nurses at Jefferson Einstein. In addition to trying to raise awareness about cuts to pediatric care, the union is in contract negotiations with Jefferson Health about better working conditions, safer staffing levels and other issues.
True North has acquired Jefferson's Trappe Pediatric Care at Iron Bridge, Pennypack Pediatrics and Einstein Pediatrics Elkins Park. Four other pediatric practices — the Pediatric & Adolescent Ambulatory Center at the hospital and Holland Pediatric locations in Bustleton, Southampton and Frankford — are slated to close June 30.
The moves come as Jefferson Health faces financial challenges tied to its rapid expansion. The health system has grown from having three hospitals in 2015 to more than 30 hospitals throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. Last fall, Jefferson announced it was laying off 600 to 700 workers — about 1% of its 65,000 employees. Jefferson had a $252.6 million operating loss in the first quarter of this year.
In a statement, Jefferson Health said it is transitioning pediatric practices to True North "to ensure families continue to have access to high-quality care. True North is actively working to integrate patients, physicians, and staff."
More than 1,000 nurses at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital are in contract negotiations with Jefferson Health. They are pushing for safer working conditions and better staffing levels, among other issues.
Jefferson Health also said it remained "committed to reaching an agreement that is equitable for both our nurses and our mission-driven organization" and "committed to supporting access to pediatric services across the region."
The health system will "continue to provide substantial pediatric care through our primary care network, Urgent Care centers, Emergency Departments, and Reilly Children's Hospital," according to its statement.
But Stephanie Stucka, a neurology nurse at the hospital, said Jefferson Health was backing out of promises it had made to serve the community.
"A lot of our patients who come here come here because they don't have access to cars, and we are right near the subway station," Stucka said. "And to sit there and tell women with newborns … in their postpartum state that it's just as easy for them to figure out how to get to Abington or Elkins Park is at best dismissive or most likely disrespectful."
Le'coin Jordan said she was worried moms and babies would now fall through the cracks.
"I love the fact that my moms and babies are Black and brown and just so diverse, so we try to like get people to where they're comfortable," Le'coin Jordan said. "We're just trying to see where we can send them, so that we don't lose these babies."
