Thursday Media Availability: MNA President to Comment on Supreme Court Health Care Ruling (Page 102)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Contact: John Nemo, MNA, 651-414-2863 or john.nemo@mnnurses.org

ST. PAUL (June 27, 2012) – Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association, will be available Thursday to comment from an everyday nurse’s perspective on the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act and how it impacts Minnesota patients and families.

“Our concern is that a system of unaffordable, under-insurance will persist. No matter the outcome, millions will effectively be denied regular quality care,” said Hamilton, who is a staff nurse in the Twin Cities-based Children’s Hospitals and Clinics system. “In the past year, nurses have been especially alarmed at what they see as broad declines in health and living standards for substantial segments of the U.S. population. These declines are directly linked to the persistent economic crisis our country continues to find itself mired in.”

Health conditions nurses identified as linked to the loss of jobs, homes, poor nutrition, and resulting from un-payable medical bills or high out-of-pocket costs for care include: stress-induced heart ailments in younger patients, anxiety and “gut” disorders, higher asthma rates prompted by delays tied to poverty or insurance obstacles, and illnesses formerly associated primarily with adults now seen in children.

To arrange interviews with Hamilton, contact MNA’s John Nemo at 651-414-2863 or john.nemo@mnnurses.org .

MNA is a founding member of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest union of Registered Nurses, with more than 175,000 members across the United States.

In advance of the Supreme Court’s decision, NNU began a three-week bus tour across California holding free health screenings and town hall meetings where community members were invited to tell their health care stories.  Following is a link to two accounts shared: http://youtu.be/LKCRIOAoGHs

Overflow crowds in San Diego, Fresno and other cities have greeted the nurses. Nurses have heard testimonials from town residents denied care due to cost or insurance obstacles. Nurses also have also been discussing the upcoming ruling and the nurses’ RX for the healthcare crisis – expanding Medicare to cover everyone.

In addition, later this week in Philadelphia, eight real life stars of Michael Moore’s 2007 film on the healthcare crisis, “SiCKO,” will hold a five-year reunion. Titled “Still SiCKO After All These Years,” the public event will be held on Saturday, June 30 at 7 p.m. Moore is also scheduled to speak. For information on that event, contact Donna Smith, one of the stars of the film who is also currently on the California tour, at 773-617-4493.

Founded in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents more than 20,000 nurses in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Learn more online at http://www.mnnurses.org.