Rev. Jesse Jackson to Push for Improved Working Conditions, Patient Care Protections at LA Hospital

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.seiu-uhw.org/mediacenter/pressreleases/page.jsp?itemID=28391030

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 15, 2007
CONTACT:
Vaishalee Raja
323-337-3959
[e-mail]
Rev. Jesse Jackson to Push for Improved Working Conditions, Patient Care Protections at L.A.'s Good Samaritan Hospital

LOW SALARIES, SUBSTANDARD BENEFITS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
HIGH STAFF TURNOVER, WHICH MAY THREATEN QUALITY PATIENT CARE.

Los Angeles, CA – In an effort to protect and improve both quality patient care and workplace standards for frontline caregivers, Rev. Jesse Jackson will visit Good Samaritan Hospital to push hospital executives to make badly needed changes that would benefit patients and caregivers.

“The caregivers at this hospital truly are the good Samaritans,” Reverend Jackson said. “No one cares more for the mission of the hospital and for the community than the healthcare workers who heal the bodies of the sick. There must be a new commitment to our duty to listen to the caregivers’ voices and make common cause to make Good Samaritan everything it can be for its patients.”

Good Samaritan employees remain among the lowest paid hospital workers in the Los Angeles region. Caregivers’ wages are as much as 40 percent lower than those at other area hospitals, including Kaiser Permanente’s facilities, Catholic Healthcare West’s facilities, West Hills Medical Center, Brotman Medical Center and USC University Hospital.

Low salaries and substandard benefits have helped produce high staff turnover rates in various departments, making it difficult to retain and recruit a qualified, stable workforce, which impacts the quality of patient care. High staff turnover often forces hospitals to use temporary staff to fill vacant positions. Good Samaritan Hospital has spent millions of dollars on temporary staff, according to hospital data, over the last three years. To date, hospital administrators have, failed to accept caregivers’ proposals to improve patient care through direct input from frontline caregivers and safer-staffing models, standards that have been adopted by an overwhelming majority of unionized California hospitals.

* When: Monday, March 19 at Noon
* Where: Good Samaritan Hospital
1225 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017
* Who: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Other elected officials TBA, clergy, community leaders and healthcare workers.