In what’s shaping up to be a true healthcare emergency, hospitals across Upstate New York are facing shocking levels of staffing shortages, leaving patient care teetering on the brink. A new report from the Fiscal Policy Institute exposes a dire situation: upwards of 90% of hospital shifts are understaffed, sometimes by registered nurses, sometimes by vital support staff, and sometimes both at once. Even the intensive care units – once considered safe havens of adequate staffing – aren’t immune, with roughly 80% of ICU shifts lacking enough ancillary staff to properly support patient care.