Nurses to Rally Against St. Alphonsus in Baker City on August 30
By Joe Hathaway on Tuesday, August 29th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — (Release from the Oregon Nurses Association) Local nurses are leading a rally to retain critical health care staff and community services Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 4:30 – 7 p.m. at the intersection of Main St. and Campbell St. in Baker City, Oregon.
WHAT: Frontline nurses, patients, health care providers, community members and elected leaders are holding a public rally to demand St. Alphonsus corporate executives stop cutting local health care services, address its staffing crisis, raise safety standards, and reach a fair contract agreement with local nurses to ensure all Eastern Oregon families have access to safe, affordable health care.
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 4:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE: The intersection of Main St. and Campbell St. in Baker City, OR. (NW of Geiser Pollman Park.)
WHO: ONA frontline nurses from St. Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City along with other local health care providers, elected officials, patients, families and community allies.
Scheduled to speak at 5 p.m.
- Baker County Chair Shane Alderson
- Dr. Dean Defrees, Family Medicine Practice
- ONA Chair at St. Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City Megan Nelson, RN
- ONA President Tamie Cline, RN
Speaker schedule is subject to change.
WHY: St. Alphonsus executives have cited staff shortages while deciding to cut Baker City’s intensive care unit and family birth center. However, St. Alphonsus is encouraging health care providers to move to other hospitals by allowing Baker City nurses’ contract to expire in June and paying local nurses $5 – $10 less than they could earn at hospitals in La Grande and Pendleton. St. Alphonsus executives’ continued failure to recruit, retain and respect nurses is leading to a loss of care for the community and negatively impacting Baker County’s workers and families.
“St. Alphonsus is cutting the care and services Baker County families have relied on for years. It’s only going to get worse if we can’t recruit and retain the nurses and health care providers we need,” said ONA member Alyson Rino, a nurse at St. Alphonsus Medical Center – Baker City. “We’re living in a maternity care desert. But it could become a health care desert if we don’t take action and demand St. Alphonsus step up and help us meet our community’s health care needs.”
Wednesday’s rally is an opportunity for nurses, families, and community members to come together and show their support for local nurses and health care services. It’s time for St. Alphonsus executives to stop the cuts and reach a fair contract agreement with local nurses that allows the hospital to retain staff and provide the care their community deserves.
Wednesday’s rally is an outdoor, rain-or-shine event. It will feature speeches from nurses, elected officials and community leaders. There will also be a petition drive to urge St. Alphonsus executives to keep the Family Birth Center open. All participants are asked to follow guidance from designated rally officials and safety personnel.
The Oregon Nurses Association represents frontline registered nurses and allied health care workers at St. Alphonsus – Baker City and nurses at St. Alphonsus – Ontario. St. Alphonsus is based out of Boise, Idaho and owned by Trinity Health, the 5th largest health care system in the country with $21.5 billion in annual operating revenue.
