New report highlights dangerous consequences of corporate healthcare mergers, concerning record of Sanford and Fairview       (Page 16)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org
Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

New study from MNA includes review of service closures by Sanford following past hospital takeovers  

(St. Paul) – February 21, 2023 – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today released a new report on the proposed merger of Sanford Health and M Health Fairview into a massive new healthcare chain. The 24-page report includes a review of scholarly studies on the effects of healthcare mergers on patients, workers and communities, as well as a review of the corporate policies pushed by hospital executives at Sanford and Fairview, including closures of facilities and units with their focus on the bottom line.

“A merger between these two systems would create one of the largest healthcare providers in the Upper Midwest and could dramatically change the lives of patients, healthcare workers, and their communities,” the report states. “Mergers make our hospitals less accountable and less connected to communities, resulting in higher costs for patients, reductions in services, and increased burnout for healthcare workers. We urge the Attorney General and elected officials to continue to act in the interest of patients, workers, and their communities and prevent the further entrenchment of corporate healthcare in Minnesota.”

For healthcare workers, the report highlights research that shows that these corporate mergers result in decreased job satisfaction and increased burnout for workers, especially emotional exhaustion. In Minnesota, this would come at a time when over 50 percent of all nurses are considering leaving the bedside due to the corporate healthcare policies pushed by hospital executives that have forced nurses to work through under-staffing and moral injury. These workforce issues affect not only nurses, but physicians and other healthcare workers at a time when Greater Minnesota is especially in need of healthcare providers.

For patients, the report summarizes scholarly research that has found that mergers like the one proposed between Sanford Health and M Health Fairview result in higher costs for patients, no increase in service, and often “worsening patient experiences.” These effects happen when hospital chains monopolize local healthcare services, close clinics or units, and push hospital staffing levels lower.

The report dives deep into the concerning history of corporate healthcare policies pushed by executives at Sanford Health and M Health Fairview. At Sanford, while pursuing frequent mergers to grow the geographic footprint of their hospital chain, executives have slashed local services. The new study summarizes reports from Minnesota nurses on the services that have been eliminated since Sanford Health took over their community facilities. These include:

  • Elimination of mental health services
  • Elimination of home health services
  • Elimination of Cardiac Critical Care Unit
  • Elimination of cardiac rehabilitation services
  • Elimination of in-home physical and occupational therapy
  • Elimination of Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
  • Elimination of wound care services
  • Elimination of ostomy services
  • Elimination of Respiratory Therapy services
  • Elimination of outpatient services (including MRIs, mammograms, surgeries, and ultrasound)
  • Drastic reduction in surgery cases

M Health Fairview executives, meanwhile, have their own record of corporate consolidation and closures. In 2017, Fairview acquired HealthEast, a system whose hospitals have long served low-income communities and communities of color in the East Metro. Fairview executives subsequently closed two HealthEast hospitals, Bethesda and St. Joseph’s, including the state’s only dedicated COVID-19 hospital in the middle of the pandemic. Now, Fairview executives are replacing these closed community hospitals with a for-profit company to build and operate a new facility in the East Metro.

While Sanford and Fairview executives have taken a barebones approach to staffing and services, there’s nothing minimal about the executive compensation at these two hospital systems. Since arriving at Fairview in 2017, CEO James Hereford has received more than a 100 percent increase in his total compensation. With annual compensation of $2.8 million, he makes more than 32 times the salary of the average nurse in the Twin Cities. Over in Sioux Falls, Sanford recently paid out a $49.5 million golden parachute to their disgraced former CEO after he spread medical disinformation to employees of the massive health system.

MNA nurses are supporting legislation to provide critical public oversight of proposed hospital mergers like the one being pursued by executives at Sanford Health and M Health Fairview. The proposed legislation (HF 402, Rep. Robert Bierman) would give state officials the authority to review – and approve or deny – hospital mergers in the state based on their impacts on Minnesota patients and communities.

To read the full new report from the Minnesota Nurses Association, click here.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

New study from MNA includes review of service closures by Sanford following past hospital takeovers  
(St. Paul) – February 21, 2023 – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today released a new report
… Read more about: New report highlights dangerous consequences of corporate healthcare mergers, concerning record of Sanford and Fairview        » on the proposed merger of Sanford Health and M Health Fairview into a massive new healthcare chain. The 24-page report includes a review of scholarly studies on the effects of healthcare mergers on patients, workers and communities, as well as a review of the corporate policies pushed by hospital executives at Sanford and Fairview, including closures of facilities and units with their focus on the bottom line.

MEDIA ADVISORY 

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

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

(St. Paul) – February 14, 2023 – Tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will hold their annual Day on the Hill at the Minnesota State Capitol, calling on legislators to take action on bills to keep nurses at the bedside and protect the interests of patients, nurses and other workers in Minnesota.

This year’s Day on the Hill, the first nurses have held in-person since 2019, comes after the Minnesota Senate and House introduced the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act earlier this week.
… Read more about: Nurses to hold Day on the Hill, call for action to keep nurses at the bedside, protect patients, workers   »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org
More than half of nurses are considering leaving the bedside, citing understaffing as a top concern
Legislation aims to retain nurses, protect safe patient care and hold hospital CEOs accountable

WATCH: Watch video of this morning’s news conference

(St. Paul) – February 13, 2023 – Minnesota nurses today joined bipartisan state legislators to introduce the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act (SF1561), a bill to solve the crisis of short-staffing, retention, and patient care in Minnesota hospitals.
… Read more about: Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act will solve retention and care crisis in Minnesota hospitals       »

MEDIA ADVISORY 

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

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org
… Read more about: Nurses, bipartisan legislators to announce legislation to combat crisis of nurse retention, patient care   »

(St. Paul) – February 10, 2023 – At 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, Minnesota nurses will join legislators to announce bipartisan legislation to address the crisis of under-staffing, retention and care in our hospitals, which is driving nurses out of the profession and impacting patient care at the bedside. Nurses will join the chief authors of the bill, Sen. Assistant Majority Leader Erin Murphy (64, DFL) and Rep. Sandra Feist (39B, DFL), as well as co-author Sen. Jim Abeler (35, R), to announce the legislation.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

Legislation from Rep. Bierman would provide critical public oversight of proposed consolidations like the Sanford-Fairview merger 

 (St. Paul) – February 1, 2023 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today urged passage of legislation to provide critical public oversight of proposed hospital mergers during the bill’s first hearing in the Minnesota House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee. The proposed legislation, introduced by Rep. Robert Bierman as an amendment to HF402, would give the Minnesota Department of Health the authority to review – and approve or deny – hospital mergers in the state on the basis of their impacts on Minnesota patients and communities.
… Read more about: Minnesota nurses urge passage of hospital merger bill in first committee hearing     »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

As nurses continue to leave the profession due to unsafe staffing, legislature must pass the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act
(St. Paul) – January 26, 2022 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) today are joining nurses nationwide to demand hospital executives and legislators end the staffing, retention and care crisis in our hospitals by guaranteeing safe numbers of nurses so every patient receives the care they deserve.

“Hospital executives understaff nurses, push corporate healthcare practices and mergers, and take multi-million-dollar salaries while care at the bedside is in crisis.
… Read more about: Minnesota nurses join nationwide call for safe staffing  »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

Staffing language will help ensure staffing levels do not get worse, give nurses a voice to advocate for safe patient care

Nurses will continue to fight to ensure safe staffing levels, oppose corporate healthcare in Minnesota

 

(St. Paul and Duluth) – December 14, 2022 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at 15 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports voted overwhelmingly to ratify new three-year contracts which include new language to address short-staffing by executives in our hospitals.
… Read more about: 15,000 nurses ratify contracts to address short staffing and retain nurses at the bedside, continue fight to put Patients Before Profits    »

MEDIA ADVISORY

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

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

 

(St. Paul) – December 13, 2022 – At 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14, 2022, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association will respond to the results of ratification votes by 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports on the tentative agreements for new three-year contracts reached last week.

Voting on contract ratification has been taking place this past Friday, yesterday, and today. Results will be shared at the Wednesday press conference where nurses will discuss next steps in the fight to put Patients Before Profits; details are included below.
… Read more about: TOMORROW: Nurses hold media availability on contract vote results and next steps  »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

 

(Two Harbors) – December 8, 2022 – The 18 nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association at St. Luke’s Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors have withdrawn their unfair labor practice strike notice as negotiations continue over a new contract. Lake View nurses’ contract expired on September 30, 2022.

The MNA Lake View Nurse Negotiation Team issued the following statement:

“As a sign of good faith, the nurses of Lake View Hospital have chosen to withdraw our ten-day unfair labor practice strike notice for the time being, in the hopes that management will start collaborating with nurses and take these negotiations seriously by treating our priorities and our nurses with the respect we deserve moving forward.
… Read more about: Lake View nurses withdraw strike notice as negotiations continue  »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

Hennepin nurses have been in wage reopener negotiations with the county health system for months, win 2022 wage increases competitive with other metro-area hospitals

Nurses continued their campaign to hold executives accountable to protect staff and patient safety this week, sending a letter with other union workers to hospital leadership 

(St. Paul) – December 8, 2022 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association at Hennepin Healthcare today announced that they have reached a tentative agreement in wage reopener negotiations with the county health system, setting wage increases for 2022 equal to the 7 percent increase won by other Twin Cities nurses in tentative agreements
… Read more about: Hennepin nurses win tentative agreement on wages, continue push for action on workplace safety   » announced this week.