SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
What: San Jose Medical Center Workers Protest Closure When: Sept. 29th, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Where: San Jose Medical Center 675 East Santa Clara St. San Jose
On Wednesday, Sept. 29th, San Jose Medical Center hospital workers, patients, public officials and patient care advocates will hold a rally to protest the decision made by the HCA to close the medical center on December 8th of this year. HCA (formerly the Healthcare Corporation of America), the largest healthcare corporation in the United States, gave only 90 days notice to employees, community and public health officials of their plans to close the facility. HCA had announced previously that the medical center would not be closed until 2007.
Advocates and officials are upset at the short amount of notice given to the public about the impending closure. With only 90 days notice, patient care advocates say that the county has no time to plan for the closure of one of the region’s few trauma centers, little time to adjust emergency medical services planning for the closure of an Emergency Room, and little time for healthcare workers to find a “safe landing.”
“HCA is the largest healthcare corporation in this country,” said Pamela Crannell, an insurance verifier at San Jose Medical Center. “They certainly have the resources to do better than this for the community, and their employees. Where will our patients go when they close this trauma center? After I have given 19 years of my life to providing quality care to patients on behalf of HCA, I expect to be treated with respect and decency in return.”
With 100,000 members, SEIU 250 is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in the Western U.S. We represent every type of healthcare worker, including nursing, professional, technical, paramedic and service classifications. Our mission is to achieve high-quality healthcare for all.
CONTACT: Kathleen Miller, +1-510-773-7102
SEIU 250
CONTACT: Kathleen Miller of SEIU 250, +1-510-773-7102
Web site: http://www.seiu250.org/
