Nurses are pushing back on UnityPoint Health-Finley’s decision to cut cardiac procedure lab hours, ABC affiliate KCRG reported Sept. 29.
As of Sept. 14, the Dubuque, Iowa-based hospital will provide cardiac procedures between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients who need a procedure outside those hours will be transferred to another facility, and emergency cardiac care will continue to be available 24/7 in the hospital’s ED.
The hospital nurses said they were disappointed with the decision.
“Staff were told less than a week in advance that this portion of the service would be removed,” Abby Butler, RN, who has worked as a resident nurse at Finley for four years, told the news outlet. “The value of emergency cardiac capability is not measured only by how many times it is used. It is measured by whether the service is available when a patient needs it.”
SEIU Healthcare, the nurse labor union and the hospital were able to bargain for compensation regarding lost wages, but nurses said they worry about the effects on patient care.
“UnityPoint Health continually evaluates the healthcare needs of the communities we serve and adapts our services to ensure patients have access to safe, high-quality care,” a system spokesperson told Becker’s. “As community needs change over time, we regularly assess how care is delivered and make adjustments to ensure we can provide an exceptional experience for our patients. Our commitment to the community remains unchanged, and we will continue to monitor patient needs to ensure sustainable access to high-quality care for generations to come.”
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