RNs push back against reckless timeline, lack of transparency

Registered nurses at Sturgis Hospital today urged hospital administrators to delay newly announced plans to lay off nurses and close multiple units – including the oncology clinic, critical care and obstetrics – as early as next week.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that people’s lives are at stake with these cuts that will remove essential services from our community,” said Kelli Glick, an oncology clinic RN and president of the Sturgis Hospital Registered Nurse Council, which is an affiliate of the Michigan Nurses Association.  “There are many questions that the hospital board and administration should have to answer – how can it possibly be necessary to rush into this extreme plan? What alternatives were considered, and why aren’t they being pursued? Who benefits from this plan versus other options? The lack of transparency and respect for our community is simply appalling.”

Nurses expressed frustration about the ongoing lack of information from administration and the disregard for the community’s needs. Nurses also urge a closer look at how the hospital ended up in such poor financial condition, and why alternatives to these drastic cuts have not been discussed.

The sudden cuts will force people to travel farther for care including labor and delivery, intensive care, and cancer treatment.

“Nurses are stunned by this suddenly announced plan and how much it will harm our patients and our community,” said Katina Currier, an RN in the Birth Center.  “Unfortunately, we’re used to hospital administrators not sharing information and not asking us for our input, but rushing into these drastic cuts is just plain reckless. This is our hospital and our community and we all deserve better.”

MNA is the largest, most effective union for registered nurses in Michigan, advocating for nurses and their patients at the State Capitol, in the community, and at the bargaining table.

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Contact: Amelia Dornbush, 517-896-7478 or Dawn Kettinger, 517-721-9688