Letter from the Chair
Patty Healy
"The times they are a changin"…so stay informed and be an active participant in shaping the changes occurring all around you. We’ve been through a lot this past spring and summer in Region One. A community hospital closed abruptly in North Adams, leaving thousands without local access to healthcare, while another community hospital in Northampton is sharing resources with Partners giant, Mass General. Meanwhile, substance abuse related deaths are surging in Franklin county, while the Baystate medical center has not responded to community pleas to add services. Patients in Massachusetts have been able to choose lower cost health plans, though a shortage of local primary care physicians causes long wait times for basic care.
Nurses continue to deliver the best nursing care they can despite dramatic cuts in staffing across the state. And the MNA Board negotiated "a step in the door" staffing legislation with Senator Stan Rosenberg of Amherst.
We GRIEVE the tragic loss of a BELOVED leader, Diane Michael RN. The Providence Hospital nurses struggle to fill the leadership gap and carry on union business.
So much to think about, so much to be done! Come to Convention on October 2 and 3 and Rejuvenate, Celebrate, Learn, get CEUs, and schmooze!!! The Times they are a changing…be a part of the change!
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