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

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  »

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  »

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  »

Contact:  Buddy Robinson
(218) 727-0207
buddy@citizensfed.org

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

Healthcare Advocates Call for HMO Accountability HMOs and state contracts need to be audited as they stand to pocket $6 billion

ST. PAUL – May 4, 2017 – Healthcare advocates and nurses are calling for accountability of the state’s Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), including their state contracts assets worth billions of dollars. The Minnesota Legislature has deregulated HMOs to become for-profit entities, which would allow them to convert $6 billion in public assets to shareholders.

“There are significant indications of fraudulent overpayments – wasting both state and federal taxpayer funds,” said Buddy Robinson of the Greater Minnesota Health Care Coalition.
... Read more about: Media Advisory  »

An Insurance Industry Bailout Won’t Give Minnesotans Affordable Healthcare

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) – March 30, 2017 – Registered Nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association are calling on Governor Mark Dayton to veto a state reinsurance bill when it reaches his desk.  Despite last-minute lobbying by nurses at the Capitol on Thursday, reinsurance bill passed both the House and Senate by a slim majority.

“This bill, while giving insurance companies a massive taxpayer-funded windfall, does not solve the problems facing Minnesotans who need affordable healthcare in the individual insurance market, including better access to coverage, lower insurance costs, and more adequate provider networks,” said Mary Turner, MNA president.
... Read more about: Press Release: Nurses Urge Governor to Veto Reinsurance Bill  »

For more information, contact:

Charles Idelson – (510) 273-2246

March 16, 2017

National Nurses United today sharply criticized President Trump’s proposed federal budget as a broad attack on public protections that also targets some of the nation’s most vulnerable people while shifting resources to the least needed areas.

“Slashing programs like Meals on Wheels, which brings food to some of our nation’s most vulnerable people, and heating assistance for low income people reflect a cruel and mean spirited thematic in Washington, evident also in the proposed health plan that cuts coverage for 24 million while giving a massive tax break to the rich,” said NNU Co-President Jean Ross.
... Read more about: National Nurses United Press Release: Proposed Budget Latest Attack on the Public Protections and the Most Vulnerable People  »

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

(St. Paul) – March 16, 2017 –  Minnesota Nurses Association nurses voted to endorse candidates for St. Paul mayor, Minneapolis mayor, and the Minneapolis City Council.

Nurses endorsed St. Paul City Council member Dai Thao for mayor.

“We are proud to support Dai Thao for mayor of St. Paul,” said MNA President Mary Turner. “He shares nurses’ progressive values and has committed to actively supporting nurses on our top issues including safe staffing in hospitals, single-payer healthcare, collective bargaining rights for all workers, and Earned Sick and Safe Time.”

Nurses voted to endorse State Representative Raymond Dehn for Minneapolis mayor.
... Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Association Endorses St. Paul, Minneapolis Candidates  »

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) – December 16, 2016 – Nurses are once again the most honest and ethical profession in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll released today.Nurses’ honesty and ethics were rated very high or high by 84 percent of respondents in the annual survey.

They were followed by pharmacists, medical doctors, engineers, and dentists.

It’s the 15th year in a row that Americans rated nurses as the most trusted profession.

“The public gets it – nurses put patients first,” said MNA President Mary Turner.
... Read more about: Press Release: Nurses most honest and ethical profession for 15th consecutive year  »

Nurses Will be Off ‘Strike Status’ by Sunday Morning

For Immediate Release

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

 

(St. Paul) – October 13, 2016 – A majority of the striking nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association have voted in favor of the tentative agreement with Allina Health reached on October 11.

Nurses from Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Phillips Eye Institute, United, and Unity hospitals voted to ratify the contract today.

“This contract represents compromise and strength by the nurses,” said MNA Executive Director Rose Roach.
... Read more about: Press Release: Nurses Ratify Contract with Allina Health  »