North Memorial nurses to denounce executives’ cuts to NICU and mental health services

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org
Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – May 2, 2024 – On Monday, May 6, 2024, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at North Memorial Hospital will hold a press conference outside the hospital to condemn recent cuts to services at North Memorial Hospital and clinics. Nurses are inviting community members, healthcare workers and other union members to gather and stand together against these cuts.

On March 14, North Memorial executives announced they would close the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), reduce inpatient mental health beds, and close all outpatient mental health services. North Memorial nurses oppose these cuts because they will reduce access to healthcare, increase wait times, and impact transportation for an already underserved community. These cuts present a risk for mothers giving birth at North Memorial; without a NICU team, any baby born at North Memorial that requires the NICU will have to be stabilized by non-specialized staff, separated from the mother, and transported to a different hospital.In a climate where finding a mental health provider is already very difficult statewide, eliminating outpatient mental health clinics puts more than 3,400 community members at risk of losing mental health services. As a result of these cuts, mental health patients with emergent needs will occupy non-mental health beds that would otherwise be used for patients with medical needs, or will be stuck in the emergency department.

In addition to the press conference, nurses are inviting community members, healthcare workers and other union members to join a community gathering to learn about the impact of these cuts and to organize together to oppose them.

North Memorial nurses Shiori Konda-Muhammad, RN, and Jeanette Iacono, RN, are available to speak with media upon request about this event and the cuts at the hospital.

NORTH MEMORIAL NURSES DENOUNCE SERVICE CUTS

WHEN: Monday, May 6, 2024

Press conference, 2:00 P.M.

Community gathering,1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

WHERE: Manor Park Picnic Pavillion, 3129 Abbott Ave N, Robbinsdale, MN 55422

WHO: MNA nurses from North Memorial Hospital, other healthcare workers and union members, and community members

WHAT: Press conference and community gathering

WHY: To bring community awareness to these cuts, to denounce them, and to stand together opposed to them

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On:
In: Action, Home, Mental Health, North Memorial, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – May 2, 2024 – On Monday, May 6, 2024, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at North Memorial Hospital will hold a press conference outside the hospital to condemn recent cuts to services at North Memorial Hospital and clinics. Nurses are inviting community members, healthcare workers and other union members to gather and stand together against these cuts.

On March 14, North Memorial executives announced they would close the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), reduce inpatient mental health beds, and close all outpatient mental health services.
… Read more about: North Memorial nurses to denounce executives’ cuts to NICU and mental health services  »

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In: Essentia, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – May 2, 2024 – Registered nurses at Essentia Miller Hill Surgery Center and nurses and other healthcare workers at Essentia Solvay Hospice House announced this week that they have filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.Workers at each of the Essentia facilities filed for election this past Friday, April 26, because they want a voice in their workplace to improve both working conditions and how care is provided to their patients.
… Read more about: Workers at two Essentia Health facilities file for union representation  »

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In: Elections, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

Nurses will work with elected commissioner to improve staff retention and patient care at public hospital  

(St. Paul) – April 24, 2024 – Nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today announced their endorsement of Patrick Gage for Hennepin County Commissioner in District 6 ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. Through a screening and endorsement process led by MNA nurses who live and work in Hennepin County, Gage stood out to nurses for his commitment to nurse and patient priorities, his strong support of labor rights, and his willingness to listen to and work with nurses to improve conditions in our hospitals.
… Read more about: Nurses endorse Patrick Gage for Hennepin County Commissioner ahead of primary  »

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In: Action, Corporate Healthcare, HCMC, Home, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

Forum will bring community together to envision a better future for our healthcare system 
(St. Paul) – April 22, 2024 – Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, patients and other community members will join nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), Allina physicians with the Doctors Council, and healthcare workers with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa for a town hall meeting on the devastating impacts of Allina executives’ plan to close the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and surgical services at Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus in Fridley, and to eliminate pediatric inpatient beds at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids.
… Read more about: Patients, healthcare providers and workers to hold community town hall on impact of Allina hospital closures  »

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In: Action, Healing Greed, Home, Legislative Policy, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

Contact:

Sam Fettig, 612-741-0662 or Sam.Fettig@mnnurses.org

Chris Shields, 612-839-9359 or cshields@mnaflcio.org

 

On Thursday, April 11, 2024, healthcare workers and patient advocates from Minnesota AFL-CIO member unions will join together at the Minnesota State Capitol to push for passage of the HEAL (Healthcare Employee Anti-Retaliation and Labor) Act (H.F. 4200 / S.F. 4444), a bill that would provide critical protections for workers when they speak up as the last line of defense for safe patient care in our hospitals and other care settings.
… Read more about: Healthcare workers, patient advocates to assemble at State Capitol to push for protections for worker voices and safe patient care  »

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In: Action, Corporate Healthcare, HCMC, Hospitals, Nonprofit, Press Releases

CEO Jennifer DeCubellis and current Board of Directors fail to address crisis of patient care, nurse retention, and workplace violence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

WATCH: HCMC healthcare workers speak out on the need for accountability at HHS. [Link]

(St. Paul) – April 2, 2024 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and healthcare workers from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs (HCAPE) today called on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to initiate dissolution of the Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) Board of Directors.
… Read more about: Healthcare workers call for dissolution of Hennepin Healthcare board to protect future of Hennepin County Medical Center     »

On:
In: Action, Corporate Healthcare, HCMC, Home, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

CEO Jennifer DeCubellis and current Board of Directors put future of Hennepin County Medical Center at risk with inaction on patient care, nurse retention, and workplace violence crisis
(St. Paul) – April 1, 2024 – On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and other healthcare workers will hold a press conference in the atrium of the Hennepin County Government Center to call on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to initiate dissolution of the Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) Board of Directors.
… Read more about: Healthcare workers to call for dissolution of Hennepin Healthcare board ahead of Hennepin County Commissioners meeting  »

On:
In: Home, Legislative Policy, Member Blog

By John Welsh, RN, Chair, MNA Governmental Affairs Commission

Getting help to nurses who have student debt remains a priority for MNA during the 2024 legislative session.

Graduation cap and Student loan forgiveness on page.

Last year, MNA nurses and staff were able to secure $10 million for loan forgiveness for hospital nurses, and we hope to double that amount during the current session, which will end by May 20.

There are no reliable statewide statistics on the debt held by nurses in Minnesota, but we know it is significant. When the state asked nurses in previous loan forgiveness programs how much debt they had, the average was $40,000.
… Read more about: Prioritizing RN Student Loan Forgiveness  »

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Healing Greed, Health Care Reform, Home, Legislative Policy, Mayo, Nonprofit, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 26, 2024 – A new study released today by the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare think tank, finds that 90 percent of Minnesota nonprofit hospitals give back less to their communities than they receive in tax breaks, with Mayo Clinic singled out as among the worst offenders in the nation. This ranks Minnesota among the 10 worst states in the nation for the share of hospitals who avoid their obligations to communities, while states like Texas and Mississippi lead the nation.
… Read more about: Minnesota hospitals ranked among 10 worst in the nation for community spending  »

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Events, Healing Greed, Health Care Reform, Home, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Press Releases

Planned closures of ICU, surgery services, and pediatric inpatient beds at Mercy Hospital and Unity Campus follow a pattern of corporate priorities by Allina executives   

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 25, 2024 – Tomorrow, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will join patients, community members, and other healthcare providers and workers to speak out on the devastating impacts of the planned corporate closures by Allina executives at Mercy Hospital and Unity Campus.
… Read more about: Nurses, other healthcare providers and workers, patients to testify in public hearing on impact of Allina corporate closures  »