Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1152911
activity; and prohibiting Hopkins RNs from talking about the union at work, while permitting other non-work conversations. The hospital was required to post signs throughout the facility affirming the nurses' right to form a union. Despite the settlement, Hopkins continues to violate nurses' organizing rights by surveilling RNs, blocking access, and failing to post settlement terms. RNs are considering filing addi- tional labor charges. D espite its reputation as one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the United States, a research report jointly issued in May by the AFL-CIO, National Nurses United (NNU), and the Coalition for a Humane Hopkins exposed Johns Hopkins Hospital's shocking record of hounding low-income patients for medical debt—filing thousands of lawsuits, garnishing wages, and seizing bank accounts. The report, titled "Taking Neighbors to Court: Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical Debt Lawsuits," details how from 2009 to 2018, the hospital has filed more than 2,400 lawsuits in Maryland courts seeking payment of alleged medical debt from former patients. Many would likely qualify for re duced, or charity care, but were apparently not informed of that option by the hospital despite the obligation of Maryland's charity care provisions. In more than 400 cases, the hospital won garnishments of wages or bank accounts. "It's tragic that Johns Hopkins has strayed so far from one of its core values to provide exceptional care to low-income people," said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler. "It's a shame that a not- for-profit, prominent institution that claims to be a pillar of the community continues its questionable medical debt practices." Hopkins' medical debt practices also have a disproportionate impact on African American Baltimore residents, noted the study. The 21213 zip code area, which contains the largest number of resi- dents sued by Hopkins, for example, is 90 percent African American and has a poverty rate nearly triple the state average. Overall, of the top 10 zip codes where Hopkins medical debt defendants reside, nine are located in Baltimore, including many in neighborhoods adjacent to the hospital with high levels of poverty. "This data makes us wonder what is the message that the institution 18 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G A P R I L | M AY | J U N E 2 0 1 9 aw L Figure C: JHH MEDIC Num 2009 2 2010 3 2011 7 2012 2 2013 1 2014 3 2015 3 2016 5 awsuit er L P Median Amount Sued For otal Medical Debt To wsuits mber of T LA CAL DEB AWSUITS BY YEAR T $1, $1, 20 $48,445 $1,889 38 $108,083 $1,665 73 $110,508 $1,068 244 $466,948 $1,231 08 $178,050 ,180 344 $551,294 $1,297 310 $774,256 $1,621 535 $995,254 $1,398 338 $679,671 $1,466 428 $911,339 ,704 438 $4,823,848 $1,438* *This is the median of all 2,438 individual cases. T 2016 5 2017 3 2018 4 Total 2,4 12% 86% 2% Black Hispanic White FIGURE H: RACE OF DEFENDANT JHH MEDICAL DEBT LAWSUITS BY YEAR