KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Nurses at Beacon Kalamazoo gathered in Bronson Park on Saturday as part of a nationwide “Red Alert” tour, raising concerns about how federal healthcare funding changes could affect hospitals and patient access to care.
The event was organized by members of the Michigan Nurses Association and National Nurses United.
Organizers said the rally aimed to educate community members about potential impacts they believe could result from changes to Medicaid and Medicare funding.
“We are here at the Red Alert Bus Tour to bring communities across the country awareness about the H.R. 1 cuts to health care,” said Jamie Brown, president of National Nurses United and treasurer of the Michigan Nurses Association. “Medicaid and Medicare are set to lose a lot of money.”
Brown said nurses are concerned about how funding reductions could affect patients, particularly those who rely on public insurance programs for healthcare coverage.
Cindy Evans, a registered nurse in Beacon Kalamazoo’s psychiatric emergency department, said she is especially concerned about specialized mental health services.
“My psychiatric annex is the only unit in its area,” Evans said. “Bronson doesn’t have one. There’s no other hospital in our area that has one.”
Evans said many of the patients served by Beacon Kalamazoo rely on Medicaid and Medicare, and that reductions in funding could create additional challenges for accessing care.
Dana Dekoekkoek, a Beacon nurse who attended the rally, said she worries any reductions in services could have ripple effects throughout the region’s healthcare system.
“Ultimately, it’s going to affect everyone,” Dekoekkoek said. “If we come to the point where our emergency room services are limited here, other hospitals would have to take up the slack.”
Beacon Health System issued a statement in response to the concerns raised at the event:
“Beacon Health System believes in something fundamental: Access to high-quality healthcare is not a privilege, it is a necessity for every individual, every family and every community. We support our nurses and their efforts to raise awareness about the impact of federal funding changes on hospital sustainability and patient access, particularly for community hospitals serving large segments of our communities who are covered by Medicaid and Medicare. As we approach the one-year anniversary of Beacon’s acquisition of the former Ascension Borgess operations in southwest Michigan, we reaffirm our commitment to continue working with our clinical teams, nursing partners and elected officials at every level to ensure Beacon Kalamazoo remains a strong, accessible resource for southwest Michigan.”
The Kalamazoo event was part of a national tour that organizers say is visiting communities across the country to discuss the future of health care access and hospital funding.