A strong majority of Butler Hospital workers from three units collectively voted to join District 1199 SEIU New England this week. Patient Assessment Service (PAS) Intake Coordinators, Clinical Access Specialists, and Unit Secretaries voted 59-6 in the union election.
These groups of workers joined nearly 400 existing members at Butler including RN’s, LPN’s, Mental Health Workers, Clinical Information Specialists and Housekeepers who have been in 1199 SEIU for several years.
The new union members are now united to provide a strong voice for patients, families, and staff to make quality care at the hospital even better.
Butler Hospital is part of the Care New England health care system.
[From an 1199 SEIU press release]
]]>A recent poll conducted by Fleming and Associates found that 69% of Rhode Islanders support paying a living wage of $15 per hour for frontline workers in nursing homes and community based agencies caring for those with developmental disabilities. Copies of the poll results will be available at the event.
Caregivers have an important voice and perspective in the current debate about improving Medicaid funded long term care system in Rhode Island. Frontline health care workers provide compassionate care and in many instances play the role of family for their residents and clients; despite this many CNA’s and Direct Care Staff are not earning enough to support their own families.
A 2013 analysis using survey data from a nationally representative sample of 1174 nursing homes demonstrated that nursing homes with high CNA turnover had more than triple the odds of resident pain, and approximately double the odds of both pressure ulcers, and urinary tract infections. Also, a Kaiser Family Foundation report suggests that improving staff-to-resident ratios and reducing turnover is one strategy to assist in lowering avoidable re-hospitalizations.
While Rhode Island spends a comparable amount on Medicaid as Connecticut and Massachusetts, compensation for caregivers lags behind our neighbors (see chart below). Many health care workers in Rhode Island are joining the growing national #Fightfor15 campaign demanding a living wage of $15.
]]>Corporate management decisions by Care New England are hurting quality care, patient satisfaction, and the Rhode Island economy – and damaging the stellar reputation that Women & Infants has built up over decades.
WHEN: Thursday, January 15th, at 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Women& Infants Hospital, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, Rhode Island
More Background: Management at Care New England, led by CEO Dennis Keefe, has focused their efforts on expanding the Care New England network by affiliating with and sinking money into new facilities. However, patient satisfaction and staff morale at the hospital are down, due to a lack of investment in staff and quality care.
Since 2011, the hospital has consistently brought in out-of-state “Traveler Nurses” instead of hiring local nurses for permanent jobs. These temporary travelers, who are unfamiliar with the hospital, have likely driven down patient satisfaction and quality outcomes.
According to the independent patient-satisfaction auditing agency Press Ganey, patient satisfaction has generally been down since Keefe took over in 2011. Yet despite these worsening outcomes, CEO pay is up. In 2012, the most recent year for which data is available, Keefe made $1,049,426 in total compensation.
Keefe’s decisions to sink money into expanding the network, refusal to hire more permanent local staff, and million dollar salary have all come at the cost of reinvesting in the hospital and achieving high quality outcomes for patients.
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