FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org
Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org
(Rochester) – August 10, 2017 – Minnesota Nurses Association members are standing with Albert Lea residents fighting Mayo Health System’s efforts to move most inpatient services more than 20 miles away from Albert Lea to Austin.
Nurses joined residents on buses to travel from Albert Lea to Mayo’s corporate headquarters in Rochester on August 10.
More than 200 protestors filled the streets around the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to show Mayo they want to keep care for local patients at their local hospital.
The community has risen up in protest after Mayo Health announced in June plans to move most inpatient services from its Albert Lea hospital to its Austin facility.
Patients, local leaders, and MNA nurses have formed a “Save our Hospital” group to pressure Mayo to keep a full-service, acute-care hospital in Albert Lea.
The grassroots campaign group has printed signs and flyers to make the entire community aware of the changes coming to local patient care.
Thursday’s rally is one of many events the group is planning to keep pressure on Mayo Health.
“The Albert Lea group is bravely standing up to a huge, powerful corporate entity more interested in its bottom line than patients or the people of Albert Lea,” said Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner. “The community knows losing their hospital would damage patient care and put at risk the health and welfare of not only the citizens of Albert Lea, but also the 60,000-some people in the three-county region who come to Albert Lea for medical care. The 22,000 members of MNA commend and stand with Albert Lea residents as they continue their campaign.”
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