Citing COVID-19 concerns, nurses file federal complaint against two local hospitals
Two local hospitals have been named in a federal complaint urging HCA Healthcare to provide better COVID-19 protections for staff members.
National Nurses United, a national union that represents registered nurses at Blake Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, are among 17 HCA facilities that are putting healthcare works “in imminent danger of serious physical harm or even death,” according to a complaint filed with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration Monday morning.
“Since the onset of this pandemic, our focus has been to protect our colleagues — to keep them safe and keep them employed — so they can best care for our patients,” said Debra McKell, director of marketing at HCA West Florida Division. “Our frontline caregivers have shown unwavering commitment, and our safety efforts to protect them have included screening and testing, universal masking, contact tracing and notification and other safeguards, in line with guidance from the CDC.”
“Meanwhile, the NNU has chosen to use this pandemic as an opportunity to gain publicity by attacking hospitals across the country,” she added.
According to a press release, union nurses are asking for a federal court injunction that orders HCA to resolve COVID-19 concerns by notifying workers who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus and allowing asymptomatic staff to stay home.
“HCA’s efforts to notify workers of exposure are inconsistent, at best, and negligent, at worst,” the complaint said. “HCA is effectively causing an unknown number of workers who have COVID-19 to continue working while contagious, unwittingly spreading the coronavirus to their colleagues and patients.”
The complaint also alleges that HCA has refused to provide COVID-19 testing for staff, an issue that nurses at Blake have spoken out against in recent months.
Eight other HCA facilities in Florida were also cited in Monday’s complaint. The National Nurses United union is asking the court to implement fines of up to $134,937 for facilities with “willful violations” of workplace safety hazards.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 3:46 PM.
