Healthcare workers in the North Country are raising concerns about staffing levels and patient safety. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and healthcare professionals have called for fair contracts and safer staffing levels at CVPH.The group held a rally outside the hospital in Plattsburgh on Wednesday.”It’s a travesty to the community. It’s a travesty to the people who work here,” Kim Hartshorn, secretary and VP at Northeast Central Labor Council, said. “The hospital wants to eliminate any staffing language that we have that gives us any say in our staffing so that they have total or complete control over it,” registered nurse Vicki Davis-Courson said. “So, when it falls apart, they also don’t have accountability.” Workers say understaffing is a concern. Registered nurse Chris Swiesz says it makes it hard and leads to less time to deliver the level of care that patients need.”You’re forced to make what I call bad or worse decisions. Which again leads to burnout. It leads to staying up at night,” Swiesz said. “Did I make the right decision? Did I potentially harm this patient? Is my license at risk? These are very big issues that are affecting. When it affects the staff, the end result is it affects the patients,” he added. According to union members, the issue has been building for months. Just last year, they say hospital administrators rolled back some patient safety standards required under New York state law, despite objections from NYSNA members.”What ultimately happened was we said ‘No, this is not a good idea,'” Swiesz said. “Management said, ‘We don’t care. We’re taking it to Michelle LeBeau who ultimately signed off on it.'”Now at the bargaining table, nurses say management is pushing changes that could make conditions worse, even after workers have brought forward solutions to tackle the crisis.”We have proposals on there for trying to retain, trying to keep people who want to stay here. The hospital does not want, they just flat-out reject it,” Swiesz said. “Even when we explain why we’re asking for these, they just say, ‘No, we can’t do it. We know we don’t have the money.'”“We share the commitment of the 913 people in our organization represented by the New York State Nurses Association to providing our patients with safe, high-quality care and respect their right to share their views,” Michelle LeBeau, president & COO of UVMHN Alice Hyde Medical Center, CVPH, said in a statement. “We are dedicated to supporting the people who, every day, deliver the care our community needs and are an integral part of ensuring our community has access to care for generations to come.“Negotiations are an ongoing process of discussion, proposals and compromise and we believe that together, we can reach a fair and sustainable agreement for our patients, people and community. We look forward to continuing our work together to meet our community’s health care needs today and well into the future,” LeBeau added.
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. —
Healthcare workers in the North Country are raising concerns about staffing levels and patient safety.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and healthcare professionals have called for fair contracts and safer staffing levels at CVPH.
The group held a rally outside the hospital in Plattsburgh on Wednesday.
“It’s a travesty to the community. It’s a travesty to the people who work here,” Kim Hartshorn, secretary and VP at Northeast Central Labor Council, said.
“The hospital wants to eliminate any staffing language that we have that gives us any say in our staffing so that they have total or complete control over it,” registered nurse Vicki Davis-Courson said. “So, when it falls apart, they also don’t have accountability.”
Workers say understaffing is a concern.
Registered nurse Chris Swiesz says it makes it hard and leads to less time to deliver the level of care that patients need.
“You’re forced to make what I call bad or worse decisions. Which again leads to burnout. It leads to staying up at night,” Swiesz said. “Did I make the right decision? Did I potentially harm this patient? Is my license at risk? These are very big issues that are affecting. When it affects the staff, the end result is it affects the patients,” he added.
According to union members, the issue has been building for months.
Just last year, they say hospital administrators rolled back some patient safety standards required under New York state law, despite objections from NYSNA members.
“What ultimately happened was we said ‘No, this is not a good idea,'” Swiesz said. “Management said, ‘We don’t care. We’re taking it to Michelle LeBeau who ultimately signed off on it.'”
Now at the bargaining table, nurses say management is pushing changes that could make conditions worse, even after workers have brought forward solutions to tackle the crisis.
“We have proposals on there for trying to retain, trying to keep people who want to stay here. The hospital does not want, they just flat-out reject it,” Swiesz said. “Even when we explain why we’re asking for these, they just say, ‘No, we can’t do it. We know we don’t have the money.'”
“We share the commitment of the 913 people in our organization represented by the New York State Nurses Association to providing our patients with safe, high-quality care and respect their right to share their views,” Michelle LeBeau, president & COO of UVMHN Alice Hyde Medical Center, CVPH, said in a statement.
“We are dedicated to supporting the people who, every day, deliver the care our community needs and are an integral part of ensuring our community has access to care for generations to come.
“Negotiations are an ongoing process of discussion, proposals and compromise and we believe that together, we can reach a fair and sustainable agreement for our patients, people and community. We look forward to continuing our work together to meet our community’s health care needs today and well into the future,” LeBeau added.