Until now, Nyack Hospital has relied on temporary nurses provided by a company in Colorado to fill the void.

In some cities, competing hospitals have even made disaster plans that sometimes banked on the same scarce resources, like the available temporary nurses.

Olsten's insurance for a softening economy is in health care staffing, primarily the use of temporary nurses in people's homes.

The company, based in Westbury, L.I., supplies temporary nurses and nurse's aides to care for patients in their homes.

"We have this commitment to the temporary nurses, and we're going to uphold that," Mr. Filton said.

Medical Staffing, for example, provides temporary nurses to 7,000 health care operations in 43 states.

During the strike, many nurses found interim employment at other hospitals, while Nyack Hospital turned to a Colorado company for temporary nurses.

Since the strike began, Nyack Hospital has used temporary nurses provided by an agency in Colorado.

She said temporary nurses in the New Haven area cost the hospital $30 to $36 an hour.

And Southern California hospitals are paying the equivalent of $85,000 a year for temporary nurses provided by employment agencies.