Dear Editor,
I have worked at Noble Hospital for 31 years, including for the last decade as a registered nurse. During that time I have seen a lot of changes. Patients admitted to the hospital are sicker than ever. Yet nurses have less time to spend with each patient. That means less time for treatment and less time to educate patients about their care. My fellow nurses and I are proud of our hospital and the patient care we provide. But we are also concerned about the quality of that care.
During ongoing contract negotiations between the nurses and Noble, the hospital has refused to agree to safe and enforceable patient limits for nurses. These limits will mean better patient care. As nurses, we know from first-hand experience and decades of research that this solution will improve patient outcomes. We also know that Noble Hospital has more than enough resources to provide safe and effective care to every patient.
In July of 2015, Noble Hospital was purchased by Baystate Health, one of the largest health care systems in Massachusetts. Between 2014 and 2015, Baystate made a combined $121 million in profits, according to the state. Between 2010 and 2015, Baystate Medical Center alone made $480 million in profits. Baystate has the means to ensure the kind of high quality care that Noble nurses strive to provide, but management refuses to agree to our safe staffing proposal.
That is why I am speaking out on behalf of the 130 Noble Hospital nurses. For the first time in 20 years, we will conduct an informational picket outside the hospital. On Wednesday, January 11, we will picket outside the main entrance from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then hold a rally at the Westfield Park Square Green from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. We will stand up for the safety of our patients. We urge the public to stand with us.
Pam Fournier
Co-Chair, Noble Hospital MNA RN Bargaining Committee
