Moms who gave birth at Magee Women’s Hospital are addressing the board of directors, advocating for improved nurse staffing and retention as union contract negotiations continue.
PITTSBURGH —
Moms who have given birth at Magee Women’s Hospital are addressing the hospital’s board of directors tonight, calling for better nurse staffing levels and retention of experienced nurses.
The annual meeting of the board, which governs Magee Women’s Hospital, is taking place as the newly formed nurses union continues negotiations with UPMC leadership over its first-ever contract. While the board is not directly involved in the union negotiations, it oversees the standard of care provided at the hospital.
“There was nobody to brief or prep me”
Several moms are sharing their personal experiences of giving birth or receiving care at Magee. Chela Sanchez, who delivered her son at the hospital, described being rushed into an emergency C-section during a doctor’s appointment weeks before her due date. Sanchez said she felt she lacked a consistent nurse there to help her understand why that was happening.
“There was nobody to brief or prep me, and it was just like making decisions on the fly, which you really shouldn’t do with your health care,” she said.
Sanchez is now part of a coalition of Magee moms, nurses, and advanced practitioners advocating for the nurses’ union.
“First and foremost, the board members need to understand what their roles and responsibilities are as board members,” Sanchez said. “This isn’t a bottom line situation. It’s standing up for the mission of Magee, which is making women’s health care central to each patient.”
Addressing Concerns
The group has asked the board to address concerns about the loss of experienced nurses, a cap on percentage-based raises, and a lack of national staffing standards.
“They’re reducing the number of nurses. Not only that, that we get to be seen by, but also by squeezing them. You’re causing burnout and you’re causing nurses to leave the profession, which puts our community in a huge amount of risk,” Sanchez said.
The board meeting got underway Monday evening via Microsoft Teams, and the next contract negotiation meeting between the nurses union and UPMC leadership is scheduled for tomorrow. Negotiations began in January of this year.