Nurses at Commerce Charter Township, Mich.-based Detroit Medical Center Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital are alleging various patient safety violations at the facility.
The nurses, who are in contract negotiations with management, make the allegations in a report released Thursday by Michigan Nurses Association-affiliated Professional Nurses Association of Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital.
In the report, nurses allege patient safety has suffered due to short staffing since the formerly standalone nonprofit community hospital became part of Dallas-based for-profit hospital operator Tenet Healthcare via DMC.
The report specifically details more than 240 Assignment Despite Objection forms nurses filled out between Jan. 1, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2017. The union said reported situations included "patient falls in medical/surgical and intensive care units," "late medications," "failure to deliver basic hygiene and human care," and "patients left unattended during critical situations." The nurses also cite "over 150 instances of nurses going without breaks or lunches during shifts that last as long as 12 hours, despite the impact on patient care," among other incidents.
"When management pinches pennies by leaving us short staffed, it's our patients who feel the pain," said Pat Kampmann-Bush, RN, a recovery nurse who is chief steward of PNA-HVSH, in a statement. "Safe staffing is a top priority for our first contract — and we believe we have a professional responsibility to report the unsafe conditions we have witnessed and documented."
The union said it submitted the report to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for review. In addition to the report, the union also said Thursday it has filed a lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court alleging the hospital violated the whistle-blower provisions of the Michigan Public Health Code. "Hospital executives have repeatedly refused to accept reports of unsafe conditions in the hospital or respond within 60 days, as required by law," the union claims.
Lori Stallings-Sicard, RN, CNO of DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, denied the union's assertions in an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review.
"DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital provides safe, quality care with staffing based upon daily census and level of patient acuity, which is consistent with industry standards. We continue to negotiate in good faith with the union representing our nurses to arrive at a mutually acceptable contract," she said.
"Unfortunately, the union has chosen to use patient safety as a bargaining tactic, which we will not do nor will we negotiate with them in the media. We maintain one robust system for monitoring quality of care that all staff are trained on and expected to use to submit potential patient or employee safety issue concerns. We question the validity and accuracy of information derived from any other non-approved tracking source," she added.
Ms. Stallings-Sicard also pointed to various recognitions the hospital has received. For instance, Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital has received an A grade for patient safety from Leapfrog twice annually since 2012. The hospital has also earned Magnet Recognition by The American Nurses Credentialing Center and has received the Michigan governor's Award of Excellence.