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Nurses Refusing Outsourcing At Providence Hospitals Will Be Off The Job In 2016

DETROIT (WWJ) - More than 60 nurses at two Providence hospitals will be jobless as the new year rings in.

The nurses are being outsourced to a private company owned by an anesthesiologist at the hospital and any nurses who have not signed the third-party agreement will be out of work as of Jan. 1.

Attorney David Shea is representing the group of 68 nurses. He says the nurses were given an ultimatum:

"The issue is that they have been told that they must work for this man or they will be fired," said Shea.

That man is Dr. Dominick Lago, the owner of PSJ Anesthesia, based in Southfield.

"What they do want is to continue to work at the hospital - they have been working there for year, they love the patients and the surgeons and their fellow workers - they want to stay."

Attorney Shea says the nurses are concerned that quality of care may suffer because of their unfamiliarity with Dr. Lago's business.

"They are really forced into a position where they have to entrust their career to someone who they don't really know much about, and that has made them considerably uncomfortable," he says.

Shea says that the pay offered by the new company was similar to that of the hospital system - but the group claims the hospital desired a substantial concession in benefits.

According to Shea, the nurses want to remain employed with the hospital - which isn't part of St. John Health System's plans.

A statement from the hospital says in part:

St. John Providence is continuing with its plan to transition Anesthesia Services provided by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) at Providence-Providence Park Hospital to PSJ Anesthesia on Jan. 1, 2016. PSJ Anesthesia was formed by anesthesiologists who have provided care to patients at Providence for more than 40 years as part of Northland Anesthesia, a nationally respected anesthesia provider. It is a common practice for health systems to contract with business partners to provide certain services.

Currently-employed CRNAs are still being offered the opportunity to request transition of employment from St. John Providence to PSJ, with comparable pay and benefits. Their employment with St. John Providence discontinues Dec. 31, 2015. The PSJ Anesthesia staffing model is complete and ready to go. All anesthetizing locations are 100% operational, and will continue to provide safe and efficient anesthesia services after December 31, 2015, without any interruption in care. Quality patient care remains our highest priority at Providence-Providence Park Hospital.

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