Women and Infants staff to hold informational picket Tuesday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Women and Infants Hospital staff will hold an informational picket Tuesday, May 14 at 11 a.m. to demand better training, staffing and input related to changes that will provide medical treatment to men and children.

According to SEIU 1199NE, the hospital has implemented the changes without creating clear communication and has ignored input from frontline staff for the rollout of the changes.

These staff members are asking to discuss the training necessary to deliver medical care to men and children, which they say greatly differs from the treatment previously given at the hospital.

There is also concern about use of subcontracting in the medical coding department of the hospital, which the union claims is in violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

ABC 6 has reached out to Women and Infants Hospital for comment, and a spokesperson responded, saying:

“Nothing has changed here. We’ve always had a full emergency dept, which falls under EMTALA, but otherwise we are not bringing in patients that are specifically men and children.”