Allina hospital nurses in Twin Cities picket in response to proposed staff reductions, closures
Minnesota Nurse Association (MNA) members held informational pickets on Thursday to address their concerns over what they say are Allina Health’s plans to close services and cut staff.
Pickets happened in front of Abbot Northwestern, Mercy and United Hospitals starting at 1 p.m.
The organization adds this isn’t a work stoppage and hospital operations won’t be affected. In addition, nurses won’t be walking off the job to participate.
MNA claims Allina is closing services essential to local communities while ignoring nurses’ concerns over the hospitals’ benchmarking plans.
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A news release from MNA said benchmarking is often used to cut costs and increase efficiency in healthcare by comparing one hospital’s standards to others and then creating new standards based on the comparison.
Their concern is that such metrics will lead to “uneven comparisons, increased staff turnover, moral suffering among healthcare workers and ultimately a race to the bottom in quality patient care.”
“These profit-driven decisions deny nurses and patients the resources needed to ensure safe staffing and quality patient care at the bedside, betraying Allina’s promise to serve the communities in which they operate as a nonprofit entity.”
Minnesota Nurses Association
Allina Health released the following statement in response:
Allina Health is incredibly grateful for our care teams who play a critical role in continuing to provide safe, high-quality care to our patients and the communities we serve. Our metro hospitals are consistently ranked among the best in the Twin Cities. We are committed to continually innovating and improving care delivery.
In alignment with health care best practices for care locally and nationally and in collaboration with trained nurses, we have evaluated operational practices, structures and staffing levels throughout our health care system. We are committed to working with nurses, and all members of our care team, so they feel supported as they deliver exceptional patient care.
Allina Health recognizes the right of MNA- and SEIU-represented Allina Health employees to conduct informational picketing. Informational picketing is not a work stoppage and will not interfere with patient care.
Allina Health