Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Thousands Of Nurses Strike At 5 Twin Cities' Allina Hospitals
Minnesota Public Radio: Nurses Launch 7-Day Strike At Allina Hospitals
About 4,800 nurses are striking five Allina Health hospitals in the Twin Cities. The one-week walkout began as expected at 7 a.m. Sunday morning. The hospitals affected by the contract dispute are: Abbott Northwestern and the Phillips Eye Institute in Minneapolis; United in St. Paul; Mercy in Coon Rapids; and Unity in Fridley. Allina Health has said it would continue operating the facilities as normal with nearly 1,500 replacement nurses. Sunday afternoon at a press briefing, Allina president and CEO Dr. Penny Wheeler said that the hospitals were as busy as they would be on a typical June Sunday, although some services at Unity Hospital in Fridley had been scaled back in anticipation of the strike. (MPR Staff, 6/19)
The Associated Press: Nurses At 5 Minneapolis-Area Hospitals Begin Weeklong Strike
About 4,800 nurses at five Minneapolis-area hospitals began a weeklong strike Sunday over a contract impasse. Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association began striking at 7 a.m. at the hospitals, all operated by Allina Health. The main dispute is over Allina's effort to switch union nurses to the same health insurance plans as more than 30,000 other Allina employees that carry lower monthly premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs. (6/19)
Pioneer Press: Allina Nurses Go On Strike Over Contract Issues
The weeklong walkout of 5,000 Minnesota Nurses Association members from Allina Health’s five hospitals began Sunday. Nurses on strike expressed concerns over the transition. While the day did not go entirely as planned, hospital officials say the quality of patient care continues to be maintained. (Ngo, 6/19)
