MNA Blog (Page 8)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: Home, Mayo, Patient Safety, Press Releases

Mayo Clinic Health System is a name that conjures up images of world-class healthcare and cutting-edge medical treatment for many people in Minnesota. However, a troubling trend has emerged, as the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that Mayo Clinic Health System had the highest number of adverse health events in the state last year. We know that the root cause of this problem lies in their profit-driven business decisions that include high nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.  

In 2003, Minnesota became the first state to require hospitals to report, conduct a root cause analysis on and submit the findings and corrective action plan(s) on 28 “never events” that are considered preventable errors in hospitals.
… Read more about: The Costs of Profit-Driven Healthcare: Mayo Clinic Health System Leads the State in Adverse Healthcare Events   »

On:
In: HCMC, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amber Smigiel
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurses shared concerns to Hennepin County Board that pushed them to appropriate funds

(St. Paul) – November 6, 2023 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) employed by Hennepin Healthcare today announced they were able to gain assistance to lower their healthcare costs from the Hennepin County Commissioners through their strong advocacy.

After informing Hennepin County Commissioner Board Chair Irene Fernando about the large cuts that were announced to their health plans and the impacts the cuts will have on recruitment and retention in an already understaffed hospital, nurses learned late last week that the Hennepin County Board approved an $8 million appropriation to help fix the insurance issues.
… Read more about: Nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center win changes to planned insurance price hikes but need more help  »

On:
In: Allina, Home, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Amber Smigiel
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Nurses to picket amid concerns about Allina’s proposed nursing staff reductions and recent closures

(St. Paul) – October 25, 2023 – Tomorrow, Thursday, October 26, 2023, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association will provide media availability during their informational picket outside Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, and United hospitals. In addition, they will hold a press conference at the United picket line at 2 p.m. with Allina nurses, labor leaders and elected officials. They are speaking out as Allina continues to close services essential to local communities and ignore nurses’ concerns about the outcomes of Allina’s current benchmarking plans.
… Read more about: REVISED: Nurses at Allina hospitals in the Twin Cities Metro to hold press conference, media availability during informational picket  »

On:
In: Allina, Home, Nurse Staffing, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Amber Smigiel(c) 651-202-0845amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Nurses concerned these efforts will lead to cutting corners on patient care and increased staffing turnover

(St. Paul) – October 19, 2023 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have filed an intent to picket on Thursday, October 26, outside Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, and United hospitals. Nurses are speaking out as Allina continues to close services essential to local communities and ignore nurses’ concerns about the outcomes of Allina’s current benchmarking plans.

These profit-driven decisions deny nurses and patients the resources needed to ensure safe staffing and quality patient care at the bedside, betraying Allina’s promise to serve the communities in which they operate as a nonprofit entity.
… Read more about: Nurses at Allina hospitals in the Twin Cities Metro to picket amid concerns about proposed nursing staff reductions and recent closures  »

On:
In: Corporate Healthcare, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Issues, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Mary Turner, Minnesota Department of Health, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Nielsen(c) 651-376-9709lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.orgAmber Smigiel(c) 651-202-0845amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – September 27, 2023 – Nurses are once again speaking out after the Minnesota Department of Health’s report
… Read more about: Nurses call on MN legislature to act after report of increasing adverse patient events  », released today, details an increasing number of reported adverse health events in Minnesota hospitals. This news comes at a time when at least one major health chain in the metro area is proposing even further reductions to the number of nurses caring for patients.Nurses continue to sound the alarm that there is a crisis of patient care and retention by hospital executives in Minnesota’s hospitals.

On:
In: Allina, Bargaining, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Press Releases, Unions

Contact:  Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – September 22, 2023 – On Thursday, an overwhelming majority of Allina’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) voted to be represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.

“The conditions of our work have become unsustainable, as Allina has left us chronically short-staffed, leading to a high turnover rate. This means we can’t always respond to victims of violence, leaving them to either go to another hospital system or wait hours for a specialized nurse to respond. We want to be there for our patients who need our services, which is why we voted to have a collective voice in our workplace by unionizing with MNA,” said Stephanie Gunderson, an Allina SANE RN.
… Read more about: Allina Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners vote to affiliate with Minnesota Nurses Association  »

On:
In: Home, Keith Ellison, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

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

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurses will speak out on the effects of corporate healthcare policies on patient access to care 

(Rochester) – September 11, 2023 – Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12, 2023, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will turn out and testify at a listening session in Rochester hosted by Attorney General Keith Ellison on aggressive, abusive, and deceptive corporate healthcare billing practices that can compromise access to care for Minnesota patients.

“Hospital executives are driving nurses away from the bedside, pushing Minnesotans into debt and putting patient care at risk with their focus on the bottom line,” said Mary C.
… Read more about: Nurses to turn out and testify at Attorney General listening session on corporate healthcare billing in Rochester  »

On:
In: Elections, Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurse endorsements recognize lawmakers working to solve the crisis of understaffing and retention, hold corporate healthcare executives accountable, and put patients before profits in our hospitals 

(St. Paul) – September 3, 2023 – Ahead of Labor Day, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today announced their first endorsements of candidates for the 2024 election cycle, recognizing MNA Champions in the Minnesota House who are working to solve the crisis of understaffing and retention, hold corporate healthcare executives accountable, and put patients before profits in our hospitals.
… Read more about: Ahead of Labor Day, nurses announce first 2024 endorsements, recognizing champions for nurses and patients in the Minnesota House  »

On:
In: Corporate Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

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

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurses will speak out on the effects of corporate healthcare policies on patient access to care
(St. Paul) – August 22, 2023 – Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 23, 2023, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will turn out and testify at a listening session hosted by Attorney General Keith Ellison on aggressive, abusive, and deceptive corporate healthcare billing practices that can compromise access to care for Minnesota patients.

“Hospital executives are driving nurses away from the bedside, pushing Minnesotans into debt and putting patient care at risk with their focus on the bottom line,” said Mary C.
… Read more about: Nurses to turn out and testify at Attorney General listening session on corporate healthcare billing  »

On:
In: Fairview, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lauren Nielsen
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Josh Keller
jkeller@seiumn.org

(Saint Paul) – July 27, 2023 – Today, M Health Fairview and South Dakota-based Sanford Health called off a merger that was announced late last year. Since the merger announcement, Minnesotans working and receiving care at the potentially impacted facilities raised concerns that the merger could increase costs and limit access to health services for patients, threaten jobs and working conditions for workers, and consolidate even more corporate control over our healthcare system.

The following are statements from leaders of the Minnesota Nurses Association, Minnesota Farmers Union and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa on the dissolution of the planned merger.
… Read more about: Statement on dissolution of planned merger between Sanford Health, M Health Fairview  »