Speak Out for Hospital Safety event calls for accountability

SEATTLE — Everyone in our region is likely to be a hospital patient at some point in our lives, yet some King County area hospitals are failing to live up to their responsibilities to provide safe, affordable care to our communities.

This Thursday, May 7, as part of National Nurses’ Week, area hospital nurses and healthcare workers, patients, and community leaders will share their experiences that shine a light on how urgently our community needs to act to hold hospitals accountable. All are invited to attend this Speak Out for Hospital Safety and Accountability event on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave.

Nurses and hospital staff will testify to why they feel hospitals like Swedish-Providence are putting a profit-driven budget before patient needs and patients will talk about the maze of medical debt and collections.

In an era of hospital consolidation, huge hospital chains like Providence and CHI-Franciscan seem to be making patient care decisions in the board room instead of at the bedside. Hospitals are some of the largest and most stable employers in our community, yet several are failing to pay $15/hour or provide good benefits. Hospitals have a legal responsibility to care for all patients, yet they are leaving scores of patients in medical debt and sending patients to collections — including some patients who work at the hospital.

This event is sponsored by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Washington CAN!, and Health Care Is a Human Right – Washington. For more information, visit CareForSeattle.org.