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Nurses voice concern about health care merger
31 August 2012
| ST. PAUL - The decision by HealthPartners and Park Nicollet Health Services to merge, creating the state’s second-largest hospital system by revenue, is raising concern among members of the Minnesota Nurses Association. |
The boards of directors for both health care providers said Thursday they signed an agreement to combine operations. If approved by federal regulators, the agreement would go into effect January 1. The new nonprofit would be a health care delivery and finance organization named HealthPartners with 1,500 physicians.
Executive Director Walter Frederickson, RN, issued this statement on behalf of the 20,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association:
“As corporatization of health care continues its relentless march in Minnesota with the merger of Park Nicollet Health Services and HealthPartners, nurses raise a voice of concern to warn that one size does not fit all. Each health situation is unique and can require a multitude of resources at any given moment.
“Simultaneously, patients deserve a basic standard of care, and enough RN staffing to be able to anticipate crises as they emerge on each shift. As traditionally bottom-line obsessed corporations grow, so too must our voice continue to grow to ensure patients are always placed above profits.
“The Minnesota Nurses Association looks forward to expanding our union presence in the east side of the Twin Cities metro and across the state.” |
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