Aspirus Keweenaw Nurses to Rally Tuesday for Safe Staffing
RNs demand executives put patient care first at Laurium hospital
HOUGHTON – Amid Aspirus’ plans to expand its Keweenaw hospital in Laurium, nurses who work there will rally Tuesday (May 13) to call on the corporation to invest in safe nurse staffing – not just fancy buildings.
Aspirus recently made nurse staffing changes at the Keweenaw hospital despite nurses’ raising concerns about the impact on their ability to provide safe, quality care. Nurses are calling on Aspirus to rescind those changes and invest in recruiting and retaining enough nurses to serve the community.
“We want our U.P. community to know that nurses are looking out for them and Aspirus is putting us in an impossible position as far as being able to provide the best care possible,” said Melissa Helppi, MSN, RN, who works at Aspirus Keweenaw and is president of the local bargaining unit of the Michigan Nurses Association there. “While improvements to the hospital are nice, what good is a hospital if there aren’t enough nurses to take care of the patients? This is a problem Aspirus can fix, if executives get their priorities in line.”
The staffing changes at Keweenaw are the latest disturbing news for the U.P. from Aspirus, which is based out of state. After saying they would invest millions in the Ontonagon hospital, Aspirus closed it last year. And in December, Aspirus closed down labor and delivery services at Keweenaw.
“It’s hard to believe that Aspirus executives have the U.P.’s best interests in mind with their track record here,” said Jordan Kivela, MSN, RN, another nurse at the Keweenaw hospital and the local union grievance co-chair. “Aspirus executives said this week that they are concerned about ‘shaping the future of healthcare in our community.’ A positive future for U.P. health care relies on a strong nursing workforce, and we haven’t seen that be a priority for Aspirus.”
WHAT: Aspirus Keweenaw nurses’ rally for safe staffing
WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13
WHERE: The pedestrian walkway on the Portage Lift Bridge (between Houghton and Hancock); nurses will stage at Veterans Memorial Park on the Houghton side shortly before 5 p.m.
VISUALS/SOUND: Nurses in red, carrying signs and chanting
NOTE: This is not a work stoppage. Nurses will be participating on their own time. Traffic on the bridge will not be disrupted.
The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) is the largest union and professional association for registered nurses and healthcare professionals in the state. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and AFL-CIO.
Contact: Dawn Kettinger, dawn.kettinger@minurses.org, 517-721-9688