For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Genovese, 518.782.9400, ext. 353
Photo opportunity: Nurses, caregivers, and others to rally in front of hospital
GOUVERNEUR, October 5, 2012 – Registered nurses at E.J. Noble Hospital want their facility to be around for a long time, so that it can continue to provide care for the community. And they will take their message to the public from 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, Oct. 6, when they rally at the Community Park in Gouverneur.
The RNs support an offer by Samaritan Medical Center to handle E.J. Noble’s laboratory services, adding that the development of a closer relationship with Samaritan could help their facility’s long-term viability.
The 31 RNs are members of the New York State Nurses Association. Nurses are proud of the comprehensive, safe patient care they’ve provided for the community for many years, and that this will continue once the hospital reopens.
“Samaritan stepping in would be exactly the kind of change E.J. Noble needs to prevent the same mistakes from happening again and ensuring stability of the hospital in the long-term,” said E.J. Noble RN Michelle Denault.
“We just want the hospital to get back on track, for the patients, for the employees, and for the community,” said E.J. Noble RN Ellen Meilleur. “We have to move forward now, in a positive way. It WILL work if we can get past these last few weeks and make a difference.”
The RNs say it’s crucial that E.J. Noble management make plans to put the facility back into operation as soon as possible because of the urgent community need. The nearest hospital is 40 miles away. The federal government has designated the hospital a “sole community provider.”
“We encourage E.J. Noble management to follow through on its commitment to get back on track,” said Nurses Association representative Annie Rutsky. “The hospital has a responsibility to be accountable to this community to its patients and to its staff.”
The hospital opened a new medical wing in February, thanks in part to a $13 million bond from the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency.
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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