Memorial Hospital employees picket amid closure plans

Union-represented healthcare workers at Pawtucket, R.I.-based Memorial Hospital picketed outside the facility Monday over Providence, R.I.-based Care New England’s plans to close the facility, hospital officials confirmed.  

The United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5082, which represents approximately 150 registered nurses, social workers, pharmacists, laboratory technologists and other health professionals at the hospital, said it "hopes to call the public's attention to Care New England's negligence in offering a detailed plan for the health services and jobs it says it wants to maintain at Memorial."

"The people of this community and the health professionals who serve them deserve to know what — if any — health services and jobs are going to be maintained by Care New England at the Memorial campus," said Rita Brennan, RN, president of UNAP Local 5082. "Our request for detailed information has been met with little more than empty rhetoric, and it's time Care New England executives came clean about their plans for Memorial."

Care New England initially planned to sell Memorial Hospital to Prime Healthcare Foundation, part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services. However, that deal collapsed in October, and Care New England subsequently revealed plans to close the facility.  

In response to the picket, Jim Beardsworth, Care New England spokesman, said via email the hospital “respect[s] the union's right to hold today's informational picket,” but “the fact remains we simply cannot continue to operate Memorial Hospital on a handful of inpatients each day while continuing to incur monthly losses of approximately $2 million. The community has spoken, and they have chosen to receive their care elsewhere.”

Care New England continues to support affected employees and aid in their job search process — whether they are looking for another job at Care New England or at a different organization — by hosting multiple job fairs, among other efforts, according to Mr. Beardsworth.

“We are committed to the continuity of care for the residents of Blackstone Valley with community-based services offered through CNE and other providers as we adapt to the shifting healthcare needs of the future,” he added.

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