RNangelER

Very well said -jt. I couldn't have said it better myself!

Thanks Gldngrl for your support! I will try to update the board often. You may visit our website at http://www.smcph.org It is updated almost daily! This is the most recent update. We are suppose to be up and running per the court. Tenet has been holding admitted patients in the ER for days. In turn, keeping the ER on divert status. Yesterday, Tenet's attorneys were caught lying to the judge about this fact with a letter that they wrote the Philadelphia Regional EMS Director. I have attached a copy of Tenet's letter. Of course, Tenet is blaming it on the nurses! It is difficult to read. . . . sorry! http://www.smcph.org/images/Diversion_Status.pdf http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/7731107.htm

Ouch! All that negativity hurts. But it does not bring down my will OR spirit to fight a corporate monster. . . . Call me stupid, I like to say optimistic. If Tenet closes MCP so be it. At least we will be able to look back and say we tried! If they sell MCP, I will be the happiest girl in the world! As I know many others will be! We cannot just sit on our butts and watch Tenet close our hospital. We have to at least try! The community this hospital serves needs this 153 year old institution. http://www.smcph.org/pages/7/index.htm (History of MCP) Five years ago, after Allegheny went bankrupt, there were other buyers for this pod of hospitals. The government did decided to let Tenet buy and gave them a 5 year tax break. This 5 years is now over. Along with some other hospitals that served poor communities that Tenet has already closed, they now want to shut the doors of healthcare to this community. Tenet will not stop at MCP. Graduate Hospital will probably be next. If not, my next bet will be Warminster Hospital. Their patient population is the elderly. How much money is Tenet making off of government insurance in a hospital that does not offer money making special services? In the five years that Tenet owned MCP they have raped the "Old Lady" down to nothing! They took away every clinic and every service we offered. Including OB/GYN, Peds, Ortho, ect. They even sent the Cardiac Cath department to Hahnemann Hospital. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/7664951.htm As far as the government stopping for-profit organizations from buying health care facilities, that will probably never end. I can only imagine how much Tenet and other such corporations contribute to campaign funds! We have a Gamma Knife for Brain Surgeries and da Vinci Robotics. Is the Gamma Knife in use? NO. We have one of the Top brain surgeon's in the area at MCP along with many other highly qualified doctors in other specialties. Our nurses and support staff are also top notch. Many have served MCP for years and offer knowledgeable and quality care. Has Tenet advertised and marketed this info to MCP's benefit? No again. I have only seen advertisements on their website. http://www.mcphospital.com/CWSContent/mcphospital/ourServices/medicalServices/Gamma+Knife+Radiosurgery.htm http://www.mcphospital.com/CWSContent/mcphospital You probably know more about Sen. Spector then I. I just live here. Does he know anything about healthcare economics? I do not have the answer. But it is a re-election year, why not use that to the COMMUNITY'S advantage. If he wants to help us, the more people on our side the better especially if they have political ties. I do believe he would like to see MCP sold vs. closed. I do believe Gov. Randell (who grew up in this community) also would like to see MCP stay open. Also, I would suspect that Sen. Spector and Gov. Randell knows what ramifacations other hospitals in the area along with patients would suffer if MCP was to close. http://www.senate.gov/~specter/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.Home&Issue_id=23 Tenet officials have admitted themselves, MCP services mostly the under- and un-insured. "Schaengold said MCP's "fatal flaw" was that it was a community hospital with many uninsured patients that could not support an expensive medical teaching facility." http://www.zurichna.com/sm/screamin.nsf/0/2EA07A4A687488DE85256E01003A1AB5?opendocument&ChangeMenu=No It would be impossible to make a profit without offering other services that are money making to balance out the spread sheet. So why rape a hospital of these other services and why not market what it CAN offer? I firmly believe a for-profit organization has no business in healthcare! I also believe that with Tenet's history of illegal practices, they especially should not be allowed to offer healthcare to the public. In the future, I will think twice about working for a for-profit healthcare organization. But until then, I will continue to work at MCP to help in the fight to keep it open. This community needs MCP Hospital to receive adequate and timely healthcare. Without it many people will die. Thank you for your good wishes! http://members.aol.com/unionrnofmcp/Brownworth.htm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Logannews/message/1024 http://www.smcph.org

I sure did! I am glad to hear you are on our side. Thanks for your support! www.smcph.org

I for one can stay TENET is already breaking this order. I worked Friday night in the ER 7pm-7am. There was 2 ER Full time staff nurses, one retired nurse (who chooses to work 1x a month), one Tele nurse, no clerk in the whole house, no Pharmacy after 11pm and no transport. With this staff, we held in the ER 2 ICU patients, 6 Tele Patients all while FR continued brining in more patients and others found their own way in from the bitter cold. Below is a link to the new court order http://www.smcph.org/images/order.pdf A great article http://members.aol.com/unionrnofmcp/Brownworth.htm To see more articles about TENET, MCP Hospital, and details on how to Save MCP, please click below. http://www.smcph.org/pages/1/index.htm

Channel 6 video of 1/8/04 Court Order http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/video/010804_video_mcp.html AP Wire Tenet's rescue efforts fall short in Philadelphia http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/7664951.htm Judge Oks Temporary Agreement to Keep MCP Hospital Open Look at the Pictures! NO US Flag on our Hospital. Tenet took it down http://www.kyw1060.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=34467 Group Says MCP Hospital Violated Agreement http://kyw.com/siteSearch/local_story_008093928.html Court fight to keep MCP open delayed until Feb.19 http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/7667864.htm Further barriers on MCP closing http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/7666133.htm Please Check the web site that is dedicated to Save Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital from TENETS evilness! Visit the site often as it is updated everyday! http://www.smcph.org

Fighting to keep MCP open!!!! Please view the links below. http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/video/12302003_video_mcplawsuit.html http://kywimg.dayport.com/htm/kyw3player.htm?Art_ID=3937

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 Scis: If you want to find out information on Tenet all you have to do it type in Tenet Healthcare in a search browser and you will find more than enough info. Lots of illegal and evil doings.

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

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

I hope you get this before hand. I didn't realize I wrote 5:50pm but it is at 5:30pm. Thank you for your support! We will see you there! :)

We do not get much PR unfortunately. However, today was a good day. A few nurses were interviewed on one of our FM stations, 103.9. And we even made the paper today! Here is a link to our Biggest Newspaper in Philly from today! WooHoo! http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/columnists/tom_ferrick/7430645.htm I also wanted to thank everyone for their support. You guys are great! We appreciate all the letters and emails to us and the PR people here in Philly. If anyone is in the Philadelphia area, on December 10 @ 5:30 PM, we are having a Rally (candlelight vigil). It will be the eve of our 1 month anniversary. We are attempting to get other nurses and the community involved. We will be outside of Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital also known as MCP. 3300 Henry Avenue Philadelpha, PA 19136. Thanks again everyone!

Great articles -jt. Thanks! :kiss

Thanks again for all the support you guys! You are great! Just to update everyone. . . . We are standing stong even in this snow! Dressing in layers and using hand and toe warmers help alot. We are braving this cold weather and standing our ground. On December 10th @ 5:50pm we are having a one month Rally (candlelight vigil). We are trying to get other nurses to come along with the community. So if you are in the area, stop by. We will be at Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital also known at MCP. The hospital is located at 3300 Henry Ave Philadelphia, PA 19129. Take Care Everyone! Angel

Sorry but I am still on the new grad making $78,000/year obgrn, I am not disagreeing with you that nurses in Philly earn more than some areas around the country. But to state that new grads make $78,000/year? When your post is read, it seems like you would want one to believe that this is a true fact. In your attempts to taint this BB against MCP nurses and Unions, I believe once again you are going to fail as you have not succeeded in dividing your co-workers. As you know, Tenet at MCP does not offer a $20,000 sign on bonus and never has. I have never seen a bonus that large in the years that I have been here. The largest I seen was $3,000. The original statement you made was new grads here in Philly make $78,000/year. Please refer to your old contract. *After one year, Tenet was to put an end to Mandation. They did not. *Double time was entered into the contract (by the union) in attempts to curb Tenet from abusing involuntary mandation. (No longer in contract) *Bonus time was entered into the contract (by the union) for the nurse that wished to sign up and be voluntarily mandated for holes in the schedule. (No longer in contract) Even with these financial benefits that a nurse would receive, many still refused. As it should be their right to refuse. As you know, Mandation still ran ramped at MCP and many faced disciplinary actions including 3 day suspensions. If and when this contract is ratified, what is mandation going to be like at MCP if it is not removed? Especially, now that they do not have a financial burden? There are 60-75 open RN positions. Probably more now that many nurses have talked about resigning. Like myself and many others have said before, Tenet needs to invest in recruitment and retention vs. using mandation as a means of staffing. I presume it is cheaper for the "FOR Profit" giants to pay mandated nurses time and a half than hire more nurses and pay for more employee benefits. On Tenets own employee website, they state the facts. For the Eastern Division of Hospitals, in the third quarter, MCP was ranked 58 out of 59 for RN Vacancy Rate. Here is the link. Click on it, enter your employee ID and pass code and see for yourself. https://secure.etenet.com/PublicSite/default.asp?URL=/dashboard/ If not please feel free to look at the print out in the RV across from the picket line as they are posted on the board. But, to get back to the new grad earning $78,000/year. . . The last page of your old contract contains the hourly wage according to the amount of years one has been a nurse. A new grad in the old contract made $23.38/hour. As you know, most nurses work 3/12 shifts. So when calculated: $23.38 X 36 hours $841.68 week X 52 weeks $43,767.36 year BEFORE taxes and other deductions. That is a $34,232.64 difference from your $78,000 These are calculations based on the old contract with the financial benefits, of the extra hours a new grad would have to work to earn $78,000 BEFORE taxes. This is including if a nurses was receiving time and a half after 72 hours of a pay period. And you know we were not. At MCP, a new grad would have to work an extra 976 hours or an extra 81 12 hour shifts at Time and a half. He/she would have to be Involuntarily Mandated to work an extra 732 hours or an extra 61 12 hour shifts at Double time. (DT is no longer offered at MCP) He/she would have to work a Voluntary extra 569 hours or an extra 47 12 hour shift at Bonus time PLUS time and a half. (Bonus is also no longer offered at MCP) Now keep in mind obgrn, if you meant AFTER taxes these hours of work will increase greatly. On to the weekender that made $39/hour and made $100,000. $39 X24 hours $48,672 yearly BEFORE taxes That is a $51,328 difference. Stay with me everyone. I am almost done! A weekender would have to work an extra 877 hours or an extra 73 12 hour shifts at time and a half He/she would have to be Involuntarily Mandated to work an extra 658 hours or an extra 54 12 hour shifts at Double time. He/she would have to work a Voluntary extra 614 hours or an extra 51 12 hour shifts of Bonus PLUS time and a half. Not that it cannot be done but boy is that dedication! Whew! Now that everyone on this BB including myself has a headache! God Bless the New Grad! Oh, don't let me forget that weekender too! I am proud that our new grads/weekenders have all this energy and dedication to devote to our profession. I hope all of you invest and spend this money wisely. Oh, and please tell me you all had a decent pair of shoes to run around in. If not I am sure the tread is now gone. Congratulations on having 614 - 1000 hours of extra time to take advantage of Tenet a corporate monster!!! :balloons: obgrn, as said before by your co-workers at MCP, if you wish to cross the picket line, just cross. No one is stopping you. But PLEASE, do not attempt to break our spirits and crush our morale in the meantime. You will fail, as we are all strong and united in fighting our cause to stop mandatory overtime. And if you have not noticed, the members of this BB are also strong, united and support the nurses at MCP as they also want an end to mandatory overtime around this country. Sorry about this post everyone!