MICHELLE DAY: ONA sends ‘Save Our Hospitals’ letter to Mike DeWine and Dave Yost
The Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) and AFT, representing Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital registered nurses, sent a “Save Our Hospitals” letter to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Attorney General Dave Yost.
The letter addresses how the DeWine administration and Attorney General Yost have done nothing but offer an apology as major crises are occurring in Warren due to the impending closures of Hillside and Trumbull Regional Medical Center, and asking Gov. DeWine and AG Yost to act now to save the hospitals.
“We need Governor DeWine and Attorney General Yost to stop sitting on the sidelines and do whatever they can to ensure these hospitals don’t close,” said Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA President and Executive Director. “Losing critical access to local healthcare would be a catastrophe that could make the difference between life and death.”
While leaders in states like Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts have stepped up to keep hospitals open during the Steward Health bankruptcy, Ohio has seemingly taken a laissez-faire approach. These states took swift action, from sending state representatives to federal bankruptcy court, filing objections against hospital closures, to pledging millions in emergency funds to ensure their hospitals remained open. However, Ohio’s leaders have remained conspicuously absent from the fight to protect patients and caregivers in the Mahoning Valley.
In a joint effort to save Hillside and Trumbull hospitals, ONA is joining employees from both hospitals, AFSCME, and local politicians for a “Save Our Hospitals” rally on Thursday, August 29 at 7 p.m. at Trumbull Regional Medical Center (intersection of East Market Street and Homewood Avenue Southeast).