Nurse Strike at MCP/Hahnemann???

-jt · Dec 18, 2003

well surprise surprise. who didnt see that coming?

TYPICAL of Tenet & other For-Profits - pick a labor battle to start shutting down services.... and then have an excuse to close the whole place

By Karl Stark

Inquirer Staff Writer

As early as today, Tenet Healthcare Corp. plans to announce the closure of the 153-year-old MCP Hospital by March 1, slashing more than 1,000 jobs.......

Tenet executives began calling union officials late yesterday, informing them that the hospital would be closed in a little more than two months......

Henry Nicholas, who leads the hospital's blue-collar workers, said he believed the company antagonized the nurses intentionally and provoked a strike to justify this action. "Obviously, it's clear to me they used the strike as a vehicle,"Nicholas said. "They wanted to exit.".......

Tenet has added one hospital, Roxborough Memorial, but closed two others, Parkview and City Avenue, and sold a third, Elkins Park Hospital.......It has announced plans to continue closing or selling poorly performing hospitals.......

the hospital's financial peril predated the strike, which began Nov. 11. MCP lost more than $6 million last year, according to records filed with the state. Nutter said that Schaengold had told him yesterday that the hospital projected to lose more than $20 million both this year and next.

Nutter said the company had hired a consultant to...>>>

full article at http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/7516795.htm

fab4fan · Dec 18, 2003

This just reminds me of the George Harrison song...

"Can you see the little piggies, in their starched white shirts..."

Is anyone in the gov't paying attention to what this company is doing? Oh, sorry, that was a stupid question.

-jt · Dec 19, 2003

actually, yes - at least in that city's government someone is. The article states:

"I am very angry, very disappointed," Nutter said. "This is a significant breach in the nature of my relationship with Tenet." Nutter, whose council district includes MCP, said he would resign from the advisory board, and seek to mount a full investigation of Tenet's decision to close the hospital, and look into the tax breaks that the corporation received when it took over MCP and seven other hospitals in 1998.>[/i]

KeniRN · Dec 19, 2003

I just want to know where all the people (patients) are going to go now for medical care?!?!?!?! Tenet had already closed City Ave Hospital in '99 and now MCP. Roxborough is WAY too small to take on the load. Didn't MCP handle trauma care too? They did a lot of L & D. With City Ave closed and Roxborough closed their L & D unit in '98, the next closest hospitals are Lankenau and, I'm not sure, Frankford?

This is going to make a HUGE impact on the, for a lack of a better word, quality of healthcare in that area of the city.

colleenmayo · Dec 19, 2003

Let's review... we are not closing trauma ,we are closing trauma no wait we are moving trauma to hahnemann...we don't have any patients well we do but they are poor with little or no insurance so why bother/we are broke but we can fly in scabs for six weeks and put them up in city line ave. hotels...we are not closing MCP...WE are closing MCP I think TENET needs lithium:confused:

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2003

All the trauma patients will now have to go to Einstein or Temple (the closest hospitals), and these 2 hospitals are already waaay overstratched and losing money due to the fact that many of the residents of the surrounding area (north Philly) lack health insurance.

Erin RN · Dec 20, 2003

Did anyone notice in the article that Nutter represents the "blue collar " workers at the hospital...Now that does bother me....nurses are blue collar workers?????!! Hello!!!

fab4fan · Dec 20, 2003

Originally posted by -jt

actually, yes - at least in that city's government someone is. The article states:

"I am very angry, very disappointed," Nutter said. "This is a significant breach in the nature of my relationship with Tenet." Nutter, whose council district includes MCP, said he would resign from the advisory board, and seek to mount a full investigation of Tenet's decision to close the hospital, and look into the tax breaks that the corporation received when it took over MCP and seven other hospitals in 1998.>[/i]

jt: I was referring to the feds with my question. I was already aware of what was happening on a local level.

-jt · Dec 21, 2003

Thats not what was said in the article. Mr. Nutter is the City Councilman who says he's requesting an investigation of Tenet. Henry Nicholas, president of Local 1199C of the hospital workers' union (not the nurses union), is who the article said "represents the blue collar workers". They werent referring to the nurses. The article was referring to the OTHER 600 MCP hospital workers in 1199 service workers union when it used the term "blue collar". The nurses are in a different union. Mr. Nicholas wasnt speaking for the nurses. The writer just asked for his opinion on the hospital's tactics.

Erin RN · Dec 21, 2003

Sorry>>>I put the wrong name I read this:

Henry Nicholas, who leads the hospital's blue-collar workers, said he believed the company antagonized the nurses intentionally and provoked a strike to justify this action. "Obviously, it's clear to me they used the strike as a vehicle,"Nicholas said. "They wanted to exit.".......

and interpreted it that this fellow represented the RNs?? They should clarify that a little :imbar

TartarSauce · Dec 24, 2003

tenet sucks

will be bankrupted soon..

RNangelER · Dec 31, 2003

Hi everyone!

We have started a coalition of Doctors, Nurses, EMS, Legislators, Political leaders, the community, and other workers at MCP. Please visit our website for more information and to watch our progress in our new battle against Tenet.

Save Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital Coalition.

http://www.smcph.org