“Save our county health services!”

Public shows support for Cayuga County registered nurses

AUBURN, March 4, 2009 – Registered nurses employed by the County of Cayuga have collected more than 1,000 signatures so far from local residents in support of protecting the county’s public health services.

The RNs, who are members of the New York State Nurses Association, say they are collecting even more signatures each day, as community residents express their opposition to the privatization of the county’s home health agency and nursing home. Proposals for the potential sale of the operating license for the county’s certified home health agency are due back to the county by March 23.

The decisions are being made behind closed doors, say the RNs. “Did you know that your legislators are considering selling your in-home healthcare services – nursing, physical therapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, and home health aides – to some agency outside of your county?” according to the nurses’ petition. “They are doing this without investigating how your quality of care will be affected or the financial impact on you, the taxpayers.”

“We feel that the sale of a municipal not-for-profit agency whose philosophy is based on service would have a negative impact on the community,” the petition adds. “Privatization does not save tax dollars. Its philosophy is based on profit.”

The RNs are encouraging residents to call or write County Manager Wayne Allen at 253.1525 and their local county legislators:

Sterling and Victory – Christopher M. Palermo at 754.6229 and 947.6816
Ira, Cato, and Conquest – Michael H. Chapman at 626.6746
Montezuma, Mentz, and Throop – David R. Axton at 776.9885
Brutus – Ann R. Petrus at 834.6078
Aurelius and Fleming – Raymond Lockwood at 252.4975
Sennett and Owasco – Roger A. Mills at 252.5776
Springport, Scipio, and Ledyard – George Fearon at 889.5585
Venice, Genoa, and Locke – Francis Mitchell at 364.8233
Summerhill, Sempronius, Moravia, and Niles – Steven E. Cuddeback at 784.5471
Auburn – Peter A. Tortorici, chairman at 258.9728
- Linda Murphy at 258.3170
- Patrick V. Mahunik at 253.5752
- Daniel Schuster at 253.4842
- Daniel P. Sincebaugh at 252.1906
- Cynthia S. Aikman at 252.0883

To make sure their opinion counts and goes on public record, those interested from the community should send a copy of their objection before March 23 to:

Mary Jones
Clerk of the Legislature
160 Genesee St., 6th Floor, Auburn, New York 12021

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 36,000 members, it is the state's largest union and professional association for registered nurses. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

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