For Immediate Release
Contact: Dan Lutz, 347.835.3429
MOUNT VERNON, Sept. 11, 2012 – The Mount Vernon City Council has called an emergency session for Wednesday night to discuss ways of helping the community’s only local hospital to survive.
Nurses, other caregivers, patients, community members, and political leaders speak out about the importance of restoring the vital services the hospital provides to local residents. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012, in Mount Vernon City Hall at 1 Roosevelt Square.
Nurses say that patient care at the hospital has been gutted by a combination of mismanagement and state recommendations to cut services. But they say the hospital can be restored with the right leadership. The majority of Mount Vernon residents are of low income, and many are uninsured. Mount Vernon Hospital is the only hospital in city limits, and the third-largest employer in the city.
“We work hard every day to make sure the people of Mount Vernon receive great care,” said Tracey McCook, RN. “But we need leadership at the top of the hospital with a plan to restore services. It’s time for the state of New York to step in.”
On Friday, nurses voted to approve a one-year contract extension at the hospital that included a pay freeze and an increase in what they pay for their healthcare.
The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is New York’s largest professional association and union for registered nurses. The association represents registered nurses, and some all-professional bargaining units, in New York and New Jersey. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.
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