YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association – the nurses’ union at Northside Regional Medical Center represented by the Ohio Nurses Association – will hold a press conference August 16th at 10:00am in front of Northside Regional Medical Center to provide comment on today’s announcement of the closure of the medical center.
What: Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association/Ohio Nurses Association Press Conference
When: 10:00am
Where: Outside Northside Regional Medical Center, 500 Gypsy Lane, Youngstown, Ohio 44504
The nurses are calling the decision to close the doors of the medical center a devastating decision – one that eliminates healthcare services, limits access to quality patient care and affects the livelihood of hundreds of healthcare workers, including the 188 YGDNA registered nurses.
Boston-based Steward Healthcare –the largest for-profit healthcare system in the nation– purchased Northside Medical Center along with seven other hospitals in May 2017. With Steward’s promises of a collaborative and cooperative approach, the nurses had high hopes that Northside would grow and remain a vital part of the Youngstown community.
Since May 2017, Steward began removing healthcare services from the community and attempting to remove the nurses’ voice from patient care. Now, nearly 13 months later, Steward has given up on Northside, blindsiding both nurses and the community with the announcement of its closure.
Steward has been in contract negotiations with the nurses at Northside since April 2018. The nurses have agreed to two contract extensions, with the latest ending September 30th, in order for the parties to reach a successful agreement that benefited both parties, and most importantly, Youngstown patients.
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About ONA: Formed in 1904, the Ohio Nurses Association is a powerful network of registered nurses who are committed to advancing nursing through education, political action and workplace advocacy. ONA is the leading voice of the approximately 190,000 professional registered nurses in Ohio and is a constituent of the American Nurses Association and the American Federation of Teachers. To become a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, visit www.ohnurses.org.