Tenet Healthcare announced on Wednesday, July 28, that it would reduce select services at Saint Vincent Hospital starting on August 2.
In a statement released by Tenet, it says the decision is a result of “… the bargaining committee of the MNA and its supporters deliberately prolonging the strike through the end of the summer.”
MNA is the Massachusetts Nursing Association, the labor union that represents striking nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital.
The reduction in services begin on August 2, and include:
- Inpatient staffed beds will be temporarily reduced by 80 beds, including:
- 2 of 8 medical/surgical units and a surge unit, 29% of medical / surgical capacity
- 1 progressive care unit, 25% of critical care capacity
- 10 inpatient psychiatry beds, 50% of inpatient psychiatry capacity
- Procedural areas will be temporarily reduced by 8 rooms, 26% of procedural rooms, including reductions in the operating room, cardiac catheterization lab, endoscopy and interventional radiology
- Select outpatient services will be temporarily closed, including
- Cardiac rehab
- Wound care
No staff reduction or limit to Emergency Department services will occur and the hospital will add staff to the Emergency Department as needed.
Tenet says the following services enhancements continue to be delayed because of the nurses’ strike:
- Addition of a linear accelerator to increase local access to radiation oncology
- Addition of neuro-interventional radiology
- Addition of advanced GI capabilities
- Upgrade of PET/CT technology for oncology, cardiac and neuroscience patients
- Expansion of access to CT surgery providers
- Expansion of behavioral health staffing to cover 20 beds
- Upgrade of electronic health record system with Cerner
Representatives of Tenet and the Massachusetts Nursing Association had its first in person meeting in 15 months on July 9. The two sides also met on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23.
Around 800 nurses began the labor strike on March 8.