Hundreds of health care professionals rallied outside PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospital in Springfield Thursday.
Nurses, hospital doctors called hospitalists, and service workers joined the demonstration during their shift changes. They are protesting recent threats from hospital administration to outsource hospitalist services, cut nursing positions and increase shift hours.
(Rally audio from Certified Nursing Assistant)
“Hi my name is Anna Blackman. I’m a CNA here at Sacred Heart. I’ve worked here for 12 and a half years.”
Why are you out here today?
“I’m out here fighting for our patient care and our staffing. The hospital is trying to make some very drastic changes to our doctors, our nurses and our CNAs. Quite a few things going on right now that they’re trying to change and we’re not having it.”
All the major hospital unions were represented at the rally. They say this not a work stoppage or a strike.
