Nurses union to McKee, HHS: ‘Stop unlawfully interfering’ with healthcare facilities deal
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A nurses union is calling on Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and the state HHS department to stay out of a pending deal to keep three local healthcare facilities open.
United Nurses and Allied Professionals are working on an agreement with Centurion to prevent the closure of Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center and Prospect Home Health and Hospice.
The union will hold a press conference Tuesday at 3 p.m. in front of Our Lady of Fatima Hospital to address the deal, which is still being processed in a bankruptcy court.
According to the union, McKee and HHS Secretary Richard Charest are “unlawfully interfering with the Centurion deal.”
The union also claims that the company Prime has sent emails with quotes from Charest “that intentionally mislead the public about Prime’s record.”
Charest is the former CEO of Prime-owned Landmark Medical Center.
The facilities are in the process of being sold by Prospect Medical Holdings to the Centurion Foundation.
The union is also demanding that the CharterCARE Foundation turn over $6 million in charitable assets to keep the facilities open in the interim.
McKee’s office sent the following statement:
“The McKee Administration’s focus is ensuring that both hospitals remain open—providing vital care to Rhode Islanders and supporting the dedicated employees who make that care possible. We want to see a buyer, whether Centurion, Prime, or another party, complete a deal that keeps the hospitals operating.
That’s why we’ll continue to work in good faith with Centurion, who must secure funding in accordance with the bankruptcy court’s decision. We are also developing a Plan B to ensure the hospitals remain open if that deal does not move forward. This is the responsible step for our administration to take to prevent another situation like Memorial Hospital.
The Governor spoke with UNAP leadership last night to reaffirm this commitment.”
