When Nurses Speak Up for Patients, Mount Carmel East Puts Profits First
Columbus, OH — Hospital executives at Mount Carmel East and its owner, Trinity Health, have made their priorities clear: maximize profits, silence workers, and cover up unsafe conditions, no matter the cost to patients.
On February 17, the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Mount Carmel East after hospital leadership fired nurse Ashley Lantto for attempting to organize her coworkers around serious patient safety concerns, chronic understaffing, and a deteriorating workplace culture. Lantto and her colleagues had raised alarms about call lights going unanswered, falls that occurred when patients were afraid to ask for assistance, medications and pain control delayed due to short staffing, and emergency room patients boarding in hallways for days because inpatient units lacked sufficient staff.
Shortly after firing Lantto, MCE also terminated her husband—an employee of four years with no disciplinary record—in what nurses describe as a retaliatory act meant to intimidate staff and silence concerns.
Mount Carmel East and its owner, Trinity Health, have a history of union-busting and putting profits over people, and this latest episode follows a familiar pattern of denying problems, discrediting workers, and punishing those who tell the truth.
“This nurse did exactly what every patient expects of a licensed professional entrusted with their care—she spoke up when something was wrong,” said ONA President Rick Lucas. “Retaliating against a nurse for raising patient safety concerns isn’t just unlawful—it sends a chilling message to every nurse and health professional who sees a risk and wonders whether it’s safe to say something. We saw, very publicly at Mount Carmel West, what happens when staff are not safe to speak up. When fear replaces transparency, patients pay the price. No nurse or health professional should ever have to choose between protecting their license and protecting their patients.”
The unfair labor practice charge seeks accountability for the unlawful firings and calls attention to Mount Carmel East’s refusal to address the real issues nurses have raised. Nurses emphasize that organizing is about improving care, protecting patients, and creating a workplace where staff can raise concerns without fear.
Asked what message she has for Mount Carmel East nurses and health professionals who remain on the job, Ashley Lantto says, “Do not let them keep you from talking about unionizing or keep you from talking to each other. When you feel isolated, you are more likely to take the bad conditions that they are providing.”
Patients deserve honesty. Nurses deserve respect. Mount Carmel East: it’s time to do better.