Allina Health Seeks Sole Control of Unity Hospital  

Resolution Would Abolish Community Oversight Board

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(Fridley) – September 13, 2016 – The North Suburban Hospital Board will be abolished and cede control of operations to Allina Health if a resolution passes Wednesday night. The motion comes just as there’s an election for three new citizens to sit on the board, including three healthcare workers.”The North Suburban Hospital Board provides the public with a voice in Unity,” said MNA Executive Director Rose Roach. “If the board begins the process of dissolving, there will be no accountability to the taxpayers who fund the hospital and rely on it for their healthcare needs.”

The hospital board overseeing Unity Hospital operations and administration collects fees and borrows money to maintain the facility. The board is composed of citizens of Mounds View, Spring Lake Park, Blaine, Fridley, and Hilltop and an at-large seat. The board leases management operations to Allina Health.

The board plans to vote on a resolution declaring its intention to dissolve on Wednesday, September 14. Allina is facing a strike by nurses at Unity and other metro facilities by nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association. One of the candidates for a board seat is former MNA President Linda Hamilton.

“The timing of this move is very suspicious,” said Roach. “There has been no public notice or discussion of dissolving the board. Why is Allina doing this in secret? What does it have to hide? It has a responsibility to taxpayers and the people whose livelihoods depend on Unity.”

“As a district resident and Unity Hospital RN, I am very concerned about a takeover of our hospital,” said MNA nurse Janet Hochule, who lives in Mounds View. “I choose to work at Unity because I want to serve my community as a public health nurse. There is a huge need for a hospital here – it’s a valuable community resource we need to preserve, not destroy.”

The district is meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Unity Hospital Classroom B. MNA nurses, other Allina employees, and members of the community plan to attend and speak against dissolving the district board.

“We urge the public to join us and stop Allina from exploiting taxpayers and workers in the Unity hospital community,” said Roach. “This is another example of Allina bullying nurses, other employees, and the entire community in the name of profit.”

###

15 Comments

  1. I hope you have forwarded this to all community newspapers and the Star Tribune, this is important that this sneaky plan gets quashed.

    Marcia Jerdee RN retired
  2. You should be ashamed of yourself for not researching the facts. The board discussed dissolution months before anyone filed for board positions. The board has no oversight or any role in the running of the hospital. The reverse is also true, neither Allina Health nor Unity Hospital has any representation on or control over the NSHD board. Thus, the headline of the SEIU media release, which states “Allina to dissolve longstanding hospital board…” is incorrect and misleading. Allina has no power to dissolve this board.

  3. Quit vilifying Allina and its CEO and board. All of us have to go back to work at Allina. We don’t want to feel we are going back to work for “the enemy” as you are wrongfully making them out to be. Just negotiate and get this done.

  4. Maggie, I’m with you. WE are Allina Health. We are hurting ourselves and being fed only partial truths that are no better than playing dirty politics.

  5. How is it legal for Allina to buy a taxpayer run hospital to them without taxpayer involvement??

  6. The MNA’s scorched earth policy toward Allina right now is destroying the wonderful working relationship I used to have with the nurses that, together, used to care for our patients. Based on the comments I see from those out on strike, it’s clear that the MNA leadership is LYING to its members about what Allina is offering and how far Allina has come to meet the union’s (at times ridiculous) demands. Allina has capitulated on 95% of it’s initial demands, and ceded 95% of the union’s requests, but that isn’t enough. The costs of this strike hurt EVERYONE in our community. Every employee, including the returning nurses, will suffer because of the unnecessary expense of this strike. Your advertisements claiming poor care are simply crazy. Nurses screw up all the time, and that leads to patient deaths. Wrong patient, wrong dose, wrong medication when the NURSE doesn’t do her or his job happens ALL THE TIME, but you don’t see the hospital leadership running to the newspapers about it. When a nurse watches a declining patient all night without alerting the physician, then that patient is found dead in the morning, it’s the physician who takes the blame. And again, those cases NEVER get reported to the Star Tribune. In June I was hopeful that the union and Allina could reach a fair and reasonable agreement and we could continue to provide great care to our patients. I now can’t stand the union because the MNA leadership is crazy, and more interested in scoring political points than recognizing the reality of how people use health insurance across this country. The faith and trust I USED to have in my coworkers has been destroyed. But I now see that the nurses are better than the rest of us. I hope Allina backtracks on it’s most recent offer and the MNA keeps the nurses out through October. Then you will see just how much YOUR healthcare truly costs. This strike was the union’s decision, not Allina’s.

  7. Ryan, you are absolutely correct. I completely agree with your whole statement. I hope others can open their eyes and see what you and I see.

  8. Dear Ryan
    It is sad you are so misinformed. However all I can say is in a media war the Hospital and Physicians would lose as well. There are plenty of incidences of RNs saving lives and watching the backs of physicians and providers as everyone’s case loads increase. Nurses watch your back everyday! Sincerely

  9. And Ryan there was one other point I wanted to make. As we celebrated the NAMI walk just this weekend don’t use unprofessional words such as crazy referring to any person as you did. As an Allina Employee and possibly a professional I am sure you are aware of the Be The Change initiatives to stamp out stigma against mental illness. PS: Nurses are the biggest champions in that initiative. Thank you.

  10. Yes, of course, Anne. It was very insensitive of me to use a “trigger word” in a safe zone. The MNA leadership is idiotic, not the other word that I used and repeated. And you are correct. Physicians screw up too. So do RTs, pharmacists, environmental services, sterilization techs, medical device manufacturers and everyone else in the medical field. Those closest to the patients are the ones most likely to cause the harm. My point is that I would NEVER divulge to the media the specifics of a case where ANY employee contributed to harm to score political points. It’s called peer protected for a reason. The goals of reviewing cases internally is truly quality improvement and education. Sadly, some of the best teaching cases are when WE make mistakes. There is no media war other than the mistruths and outright lies that MNA is spoon feeding to the Star Tribune and others. Did your leadership tell you that your bargaining team declined an offer of a “ratification bonus” to even pay you all for walking out the first time, after capitulating to most of your demands, allowing you to keep your cadillac plan, meeting your safety demands and offering concessions on staffing? It wasn’t even enough… Allina asked for $10million over 3 years. So far, you walking out has cost at least $80 million and counting. When this is settled, you’ll keep your insurance and your locked in pay raises. You’ll continue to make more than 80% of nurses around the country and with more bedside support you already enjoy (ask the replacement nurses about their RTs, phlebotomists, therapists and physicians back home). You’ll have your safety and staffing demands (you already had them before this strike, btw). Allina will have its black eye. You’ve already won. But what you’ve lost is our support and sympathy because of MNA’s “leadership.” So good luck with that…

  11. Oh, and don’t give me some garbage about the poor struggling nurses on the dwindling picket lines. You chose to strike. Many of your colleagues are back working. I really wonder how those votes went when 15% of the nurses face retaliation from the almighty MNA to cross the line, be at their patient’s side and work, and you needed 66% to authorize a strike in the first place. Maybe you could try taking that little nugget to the media. I’ve seen the letters you send to nurses who cross the picket and it’s disgusting. I’m surprised you don’t deliver them with a couple of goons with baseball bats over their shoulder to “deliver the message.”

  12. Great response Ryan. I actually am NOT a striking nurse and do NOTwork for MNA. Just a very passionate professional. So glad I was able to strike a nerve and help you think a little more clearly. May we all stay kind and love our patients. Very aware of all offered and bonus but glad you reiterated what you also “believe” to be true. Actually we are an intelligent informed bunch. And don’t worry. I have seen more than one incidence of blame in the media where nurses did take the fall publicly and with a wrongful black eye when information should have been protected. The wages throughout healthcare jobs in our area is higher than the national standard so not only RNs benefit from the economy we have created to deliver excellent care. I gave you no garbage about anything regarding picket lines etc. I have no goons or baseball bats. You are obviously either confused in your last response. If you are at the bedside currently it may be in the best interest of our patients if you step away because you are wearing your anger on your sleeve May you find peace and comfort. Thank you for the apology for your insensitivity. May we make the entire world a safe zone for those suffering mental illness.

  13. I agree with Ryan, Aileen & Maggie’s comments.

    Striking nurses: If you don’t believe In or trust Allina then do us all a favor – leave the company. Go to another health system (if they will take you). How do you put on your resume that you walked out on you patients because of the A+ plan?

  14. I agree with Ryan, Aileen & Maggie’s comments.

    Striking nurses: If you don’t believe In or trust Allina then do us all a favor – leave the company. Go to another health system (if they will take you). How do you put on your resume that you walked out on you patients because of the A+ plan?

  15. I just learned that ONLY 8% of Allina nurses work 40 hours a week. Unbelievable!!

    To the 92% Allina nurses who work PART-time – be grateful that you are allowed to work as little as 16 hours a pay period in order to receive full benefits (including A+ insurance). Good grief.

    Here’s a thought to address your money struggles – work full time.

Comments are closed.