Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/197697
NewsBriefs_April 5/5/11 11:35 AM Page 10 WRAP-UP REPORT California acute care at Oak Forest, which cares for many long-term care and ventilator patients, would be discontinued. When RN Tya Robinson-May's request to speak was denied by the board, it roused the audience to start shouting, "Save our hospital!" while holding up pictures of patients. Last November, the Cook County Health and Hospital System board, led by CEO Bill Foley, had applied with the state of Illinois to discontinue inpatient services at Oak Forest and turn the facility into a large clinic. The Illinois board, however, seemed skeptical about these plans and with Foley's ability to provide a concrete timeline for his proposed changes, ultimately voting against the closure. CCHHS can and most likely will reapply to discontinue services, however, so this victory is only round one of saving a historic and vital hospital. registered nurses at Sutter Health hospitals in Roseville and Auburn have overwhelmingly voted to ratify new three-year agreements that provide for important gains in patient protections, and compensation, while protecting the nurses' health coverage and retirement security. The new collective bargaining agreement affects some 850 RNs at Sutter Roseville Medical Center and 250 at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital. Florida at florida nnu members' annual organizing conference March 31 in Tallahassee, nurses grabbed an unexpected opportunity to confront Gov. Rick Scott during their march and rally in support of a state staffing ratio bill they are sponsoring. On their way to deliver 3,000 signed cards supporting the Florida Hospital Patient Protection Act to his office, nurses spotted Scott near a side entrance and addressed him, telling him they were visiting to voice support of the safe staffing bill. Scott, who was CEO of giant hospital chain HCA before he resigned in 1997 over a Medicare billing scandal, ignored them and walked away, turning his attention to a group of press and television cameras. The Florida nurses surrounded Scott and held their signs up high. "Trust me, he knew who we were," said Louise Eastty, RN. After Scott entered the Capitol, the nurses followed and again tried to meet with him at his office. His staff said he could not, so RNs left their 3,000 cards, an informational packet, and this message, "Gov. Scott, the Florida nurses are here to see you!" And that they would be back. Illinois registered nurses with Chicago's Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) are fighting on multiple fronts to limit reductions to patient services stemming from county budget cuts. On April 22, RNs held a press conference in front of the Fantus clinic with nurses who had been notified with only one day of notice that they were subject to furlough days the county recently imposed. On that day, the first furlough day, the system's clinics, pharmacies, and some parts of Stroger Hospital were shut down. Many patients, who had previously received messages confirming their appointments for that Friday, were shocked and dismayed to be turned away. 10 N AT I O N A L N U R S E Veterans Affairs while in tampa, fla. at its quarterly meeting in April, NNU-VA completed a 45-day project to put together proposals for a new national contract, the nurses' first NNU national master contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs. NNU's negotiation team consists of NNU-VA Director Brad Burton and NNU-VA Chair Irma Westmoreland, RN as chief negotiators and the following RN members: Bonita Reid, director of Buffalo VA, Jeanelle Foree, director of Tuscaloosa VA, Margaret Thompson, director of Dayton According to a WBEZ radio VA, Ken O'Leary, director of From top: Florida RNs news report, pharmacy customer on a march to support Durham VA, Ruby Rose Michael Spaulding had spent Huthinson, director of Miami staffing ratios; Tya three hours riding three buses VA, and Rhonda Honas, staff Robinson-May, an RN and the train from Chicago's far nurse and associate director of for Chicago's public South Side to pick up his wife's Dayton VA. The following RN health system, lupus medication, only to find directors are alternates for the protests a proposal the pharmacy closed. Almost team: Cathy Billiter, director of to shutter the system's crying at the news, Spaulding Augusta VA, Linda Salvini, Oak Forest Hospital went on to wait almost four director of Des Moines VA, hours for the ER pharmacy to fill the Barbara Devers, director of Lexington VA, prescription. and John Horvat, director of Cincinnati On March 21, a strong showing of regisVA. Bargaining sessions are set to start in tered nurses, community members, and June. The teams will meet two to three patients attended the Illinois Health Servic- weeks a month until the process is es and Facilities Review Board meeting and complete. The NNU-VA team is confident managed, for now, to save acute-care servic- they will conclude this process with a better es at the system's Oak Forest Hospital. The contract and more protections for our VA board was scheduled to vote on whether nurses. —Staff report 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 APRIL 2011