MGH Nurses Union Release Statement
The Michigan Nurses Association has released a statement on the on the proposed agreement between Marquette General Hospital and Duke LifePoint.
The Michigan Nurses Association represents the approximately 415
registered nurses at the hospital.
In a release today, John Karebian, Michigan Nurses Association Executive Director, said, “Our No. 1 concern is whether our professional nurses at Marquette General will be able to maintain their high standards of patient care and safety if the hospital is taken over by a for-profit company. The community counts on Marquette General, many times as their only source of health care. Yet without any warning or conversation with the community, an unknown outsider has shown up whose priority is making money for their shareholders.
“Losing a community hospital that focuses on patients to a corporation
that focuses on profits is a drastic change that cannot be undone and
carries great risks. On behalf of the patients they serve day in and day
out, our Marquette General nurses strongly encourage the community to carefully examine whether giving control of the hometown hospital to
CEOs who put shareholder profits before patient care is the right thing
to do.”
According to the press release, the Michigan Nurses Association is the ‘largest, most effective union for RNs in Michigan. As the voice of all registered nurses in Michigan, MNA advocates for nurses and their patients at the State Capitol, in the community, and at the bargaining table. MNA is a constituent member of National Nurses United and an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.’