MNA Blog

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

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Press Release:  Minnesota Nurses Buy and Forgive $2.6 million of Medical Debt

Minnesota Nurses Association

Minnesota Nurses Buy and Forgive $2.6 million of Medical Debt
Nurses Repay Community for Help During Strike

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.orgBarbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – June 19, 2017 – Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association purchased the past due accounts of 1,800 families that will be forgiven in order to free these Minnesotans from the burden of oppressive medical debt. 
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Buy and Forgive $2.6 million of Medical Debt  »

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

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

(St. Paul) – June 12, 2017 – Mayo Clinic Health System’s decision to effectively close the Albert Lea hospital and turn it into an outpatient and surgery center will disrupt patient care and cost the community hundreds of jobs, including nurses and other healthcare employees, over the next few years, according to MNA nurses at the facility.

Mayo announced today details of a complex plan to restructure its hospitals in Albert Lea and Austin.
… Read more about: Press Release: Mayo Plan Disrupts Patient Care, Costs Hundreds of Jobs  »

nurse protest

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By Geri Katz

 MNA Healthcare Reform Specialist

In the lead-up to tomorrow’s June 8 election in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party has pledged to nurses of the National Health Service to:

Two things about this remarkable pledge are worth noting for MNA nurses:

  1. This is what political power looks like.
  2. In a single payer healthcare system, the government has the leverage to make reforms to standards of care and working conditions across the country.

    3. … Read more about: Nurses in UK on the Verge of National Staffing Legislation  »

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By Jackie O’Shea

MNA Government Affairs Administrative Assistant

As the Governmental Affairs Assistant for MNA, I don’t typically write blogs. I support the political and legislative staff and send you all the emails about Day on the Hill, calls to action, events, and volunteering. However, I’m currently filling in on this week’s blog for MNA Political Organizer Extraordinaire Eileen Gavin, who is out on maternity leave for the summer.

 

I speak for all my co-workers and fellow union brothers and sisters who take pride in working for and belonging to a union that values the importance of family first.
… Read more about: The Importance of Family First  »

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Minnesota Nurses Endorse Candidates for Duluth City Council

 

Flipovich, Kennedy, and Sipress Praised for Supporting Nurse Values

For Immediate Release

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

(St. Paul) – May 31, 2017 – The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Nurses Association has approved the endorsements of Joel Sipress for Duluth’s District 2 City Council seat and Zack Flipovich and Janet Kennedy for the two at-large positions.  All candidates were screened by a committee of MNA nurses, which submitted its recommendations to the board.

Sipress won endorsement thanks to his work advocating for workers at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op. 
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Endorse Candidates for Duluth City Council  »

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By Cameron Fure

MNA Political Organizer

As consumers, we have considerable power with where we choose to spend our dollars. Corporations and businesses respond to consumer demands and market trends by changing their product mix and how they deliver services to their customers. Here’s what we can do to ensure our hard-earned dollars support fairness and equality in the workplace.

For starters, we all gotta eat, but most of us don’t give much thought about which grocery store we support beyond their prices or product selection. As with most things in life, not all grocery stores are created equal when it comes to how they treat their workers.
… Read more about: Shopping with Our Hearts and Minds  »

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By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

Celebrations throughout the state, a proclamation by the governor, standing ovations in the Minnesota Legislature, and events around the world: people everywhere took a moment to recognize the wonderful nursing profession.

“Registered nurses strive to meet the different and emerging needs of Minnesotans in a wide range of settings, including large medical centers, local hospitals, outpatient clinics, psychiatric centers, nursing homes, veterans homes, addiction treatment centers, correctional facilities, medical rehab facilities, homes for the developmentally disabled, adolescent residential and secure facilities, community facilities, schools, and private offices,” according to a proclamation from Governor Mark Dayton declaring May 6-12 Minnesota Nurses Week.
… Read more about: Nurses Celebrated Throughout the World During Nurses Week  »

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Bipartisan bill

 

For Immediate Release

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

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2249
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

 

(St. Paul) – May 11, 2017 – In conjunction with Nurses Week, legislators introduced the Quality Patient Care Act in the Minnesota Legislature.  HF 2650 and companion bill SF 2382 require hospitals to maintain a minimum number of trained nursing personnel at all times to take care of the number of patients at that facility.  The number of nurses on duty would vary by department as well as patient census.
… Read more about: Minnesota Legislators Introduce Nurse Staffing Bill  »

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By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

Minnesota is a unique state in many ways. For example, the infamous “Duck Duck Gray Duck” versus “Duck Duck Goose” debate still confuses this native Michigander. The healthcare landscape in Minnesota mirrors this individuality. Unlike a vast portion of the country, Minnesota has relatively few for-profit hospitals (2 out of 145 hospitals statewide). Having experienced the impact of a for-profit takeover first-hand on my home city of Detroit, it is evident that Minnesota’s public and nonprofit hospitals are worth protecting.

In 2011, the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), a 7-hospital system in Detroit, Michigan was purchased by for-profit Vanguard Health.
… Read more about: Keep for-profit out of Minnesota: Lessons from Michigan  »

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by Rose Roach

MNA Executive Director

As an organization representing 21,000 healthcare professionals, the vast majority of whom are registered nurses, MNA has long advocated for reforms that make healthcare more affordable and accessible to patients who need it because the safety and care of patients is our number one priority. As part of that advocacy we have been calling for regulations that hold Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) accountable for public tax dollars they receive to provide coverage for those who need it most.

Yet with billions going to the HMOs every year to administer public programs, the public has no information about how much of that money is actually providing care to patients who rely on MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance, and how much is going into CEO salaries, reserves, marketing and lobbying.
… Read more about: Make HMOs Accountable for their Public Funds  »