East Bay hospitals say nurses strike won't impact patient services

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7097066

By Simon Read

Area hospitals expect no major upheavals or disruptions to service in the event of a two-day strike by registered nurses next week, officials said.

The anticipated walk out, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, could involve up to 5,000 nurses at 13 Bay Area hospitals. At issue are nurse-to-patient ratios, health care coverage and retirement security, nurses and their union leaders said.

At Sutter Delta Medical in Antioch, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley, officials said the necessary steps have been taken to ride out the storm.

"We can deliver very good quality care without a disruption of service," said Dori Stevens, chief nurse executive at Sutter Delta. "We have replacement workers ready to go. Emergency and elective surgeries can continue, and we'll have our surgery suites fully staffed."

Carolyn Mahoney, the hospital's head of ancillary services, said everything will be "business as usual."

"My expectation is that the only thing patients will notice will be a picketline outside on Lone Tree Way," she said. "Inside, everything will be running."

FULL article at link.