Ann Arbor, MI – Nurses are raising the alarm after Michigan Medicine executives have started to make changes at the hospital. Recently, administration announced plans to enact budget cuts and outsource the Hospital Care at Home unit to the venture capital firm Medically Home.

“We are outraged by the actions that Michigan Medicine executives are taking,” said Michigan Nurses Association – University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (MNA-UMPNC) President Renee Curtis, RN. “We are concerned by the increasingly corporate direction of the health system’s administration. Nurses will always fight to make sure that patients come before profits.”

Over a dozen nurses in the Hospital Care at Home will have their jobs outsourced in February 2024 as a result of Michigan Medicine’s decision to subcontract with Medically Home.

“I love my patients and I love my job. I’m very concerned about what is going to happen if our department is allowed to be outsourced,” said Lindsay Bostwick, a Hospital Care at Home nurse practitioner. “Will my patients still receive the same quality care from a private equity firm as they do from my colleagues?”

“It’s so disappointing, both for our patients and for my coworkers. I am devastated that Michigan Medicine executives made this decision,” said Jeffrey Wood, a nurse in the Hospital Care at Home department. “It is very concerning that the University of Michigan has chosen to outsource unionized jobs to a private equity firm. I fear it is our patients who may end up paying the price.”

In addition to the outsourcing of the Hospital Care at Home unit, 16 inpatient units have had staffing cuts enacted. The “Hours Per Patient Day” (HPPD) changes have resulted in fewer RNs being staffed on shifts, causing strain for nurses.

“These staffing reductions are a clear violation of our contractually mandated ratios,” said Aaron McCormick, RN, Vice President of MNA-UMPNC. “We have repeatedly raised our concerns to the hospital’s administration privately. Now, we’re doing so publicly. We will continue to advocate for our contract, for our patients, and for our community.”

MNA-UMPNC nurses are planning on attending the next University of Michigan Board of Regents meeting this Thursday, September 21 at 4pm. The meeting will be held at University Hall, Ruthven Building.

The Michigan Nurses Association is the largest and most effective union for registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO. 

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Contact: Amelia Dornbush, 517-896-7478