Mountain Messenger
  • News
    • Local News
    • Courthouse
      • Civil Suits
      • Deeds
      • Marriages
      • Public Meetings
      • Reunions
    • Club News
    • Education
    • Business News
    • Entertainment
    • Sports News
  • Spiritual
    • Parabola
    • Southern Baptist
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
    • Church Bulletin
  • Obituaries
  • Columns
    • A Look Back
    • Back Down Country Roads
    • Dear Recycle Lady
    • Between The Lines
    • Letters to the Editor
  • eMessenger
  • Special Publications
    • Properties and Lifestyles
    • State Fair Guide
  • Contact Us
  • State News
  • National News
  • Classifieds
  • Legals
  • Login
  • My Account
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Messenger
  • News
    • Local News
    • Courthouse
      • Civil Suits
      • Deeds
      • Marriages
      • Public Meetings
      • Reunions
    • Club News
    • Education
    • Business News
    • Entertainment
    • Sports News
  • Spiritual
    • Parabola
    • Southern Baptist
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
    • Church Bulletin
  • Obituaries
  • Columns
    • A Look Back
    • Back Down Country Roads
    • Dear Recycle Lady
    • Between The Lines
    • Letters to the Editor
  • eMessenger
  • Special Publications
    • Properties and Lifestyles
    • State Fair Guide
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Messenger
No Result
View All Result
  • National News
  • WV State News
  • VA State News
  • Contact Us
Home Categories Business News

Registered Nurses to address patient safety issues as bargaining begins at CHS hospitals in WV

April 6, 2015
in Business News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This week registered nurses represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), will begin bargaining at two CHS-owned facilities in West Virginia. In December of 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued an order that stipulates both Bluefield Regional Medical Center (BRMC) in Bluefield, and Greenbrier Valley Medical Center (GVMC) in Ronceverte, must bargain with RNs.

GVMC negotiations began on Feb. 27 and BRMC began on Mar. 2.

Both BRMC and GVMC hospital are owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems/CHS, which is one of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chains, reporting $1.5 billion in profits over the last five years.

“The issues that we need to have addressed are about patient safety including staffing, adequate training for healthcare technology. We are looking forward to bringing these issues forward for our patients in the communities we serve,” said Brenda Meadwell, RN Bluefiedl Regional Medical Center.

CHS’ refusal to address nurses’ widespread concerns about patient safety at both hospitals was the driving force that galvanized RNs to organize and win representation with the NNOC in August of 2012. Since that time, both hospitals have been charged with multiple violations of federal law related to nurses’ efforts to advocate for patients and win economic and workplace fairness.

In May of this year, the National Labor Relations Board held that GVMC violated federal labor law when it disciplined a nurse in retaliation for his union support. The NLRB’s finding against GVMC is consistent with the conduct of other CHS-affiliated hospitals, which has resulted in three federal court injunctions, along with several NLRB decisions finding multiple labor law violations.

RNs have cited a number of issues compromising patient care at both facilities, including:

• Unsafe RN-to-patient staffing ratios throughout a majority of the nursing units.

• Unsafe “floating”- requiring nurses to work in units outside their area of expertise.

• Lack of essential equipment such as thermometer and blood pressure cuffs.

• High turnover and inability to retain experienced nursing staff.

ShareTweetPin
Previous Post

Protect your business from spring weather threats

Next Post

Commercial Driver’s License course Open House March 11 at DSLCC

Join Our Newsletter

  • News
  • Spiritual
  • Obituaries
  • Columns
  • eMessenger
  • Special Publications

© 2022 Mountain Media, LLC

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
No Result
View All Result
  • eMessenger
  • Local News
  • Courthouse
  • A Look Back
  • Business News
  • Church News
  • Club News
  • Sports News
  • Entertainment
  • Obituaries
  • Opinions
  • Special Publications
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe | Digital & Newspaper

© 2022 Mountain Media, LLC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login