For Immediate Release
Contact: Dan Lutz, 347.835.3429
Photo opportunity: Nurses and community leaders distribute
hundreds of signs in downtown Mt. Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, October 1, 2012 - A powerful coalition of faith leaders, business owners, community activists, and business owners are joining forces with caregivers to save Mount Vernon Hospital. And on Monday, they will pepper the downtown of their city with hundreds of signs with their message, starting at 4:00 PM at the hospital, 12 No. 7th Ave., Mount Vernon, NY.
Nurses say that patient care at the hospital has been gutted by a combination of mismanagement and state recommendations to cut services. You can no longer deliver a baby or see an ob-gyn at the hospital.
The majority of Mount Vernon residents are people of color, and many are uninsured. Mount Vernon Hospital is the only hospital within city limits.
Community leaders are calling on the state of New York to step in and appoint new management who will keep the hospital open and serving this community.
“When a patient is crashing, everyone circles around and does their part,” said Tracey McCook, RN. “It’s time for the state of New York to step in and help our hospital meet our community's needs.”
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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