SRMC Remains Silent

Friday, October 31, 2008

REDDING - This is an update on SRMC as of 1:30 pm Friday, October 31, 2008. UPEC filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) yesterday after receiving the Prime Healthcare Services Press Release from the Record Searchlight. I prepared a statement and released it last night to the media. Six of us were at SRMC this morning beginning at 5:00am to distribute all the information we had and be available to the members. We have spent the morning continuing to call both SRMC Administration and Prime Healthcare Services. So far, neither have returned our calls from yesterday or today. I have contacted the International Union (LIUNA) and they are committed to provide assistance. Our legal team is up to speed and ready for action. It is our understanding of the Prime Healthcare Press Release that our members will be asked to re-apply for their jobs at SRMC. Our advice to you is APPLY!  We don’t know how many days or weeks the NLRB will take to resolve our charge against the hospital.  We don’t want you to jeopardize your income while the process takes its course. I am keeping local TV, Radio and Papers informed so they can help keep you informed. I want all of you to feel free to contact your union reps and myself at anytime 24/7 should you receive information from the hospital administration, be disciplined or terminated or be asked to do something unusual such as re-apply for your position. We want to stay on top of this situation. 

Corporate Bully Flys into Redding

Thursday, October 30, 2008

REDDING - The Union representing Nurses and Medical Technicians at Shasta Regional Medical Center announced that it has filed charges against SRMC with the Federal National Labor Relations Board over the announcement by the hospital’s new management team that it is terminating all employees. 

Business Manager and spokesman for the Union, Business Manager Chris Darker, stated, “We have a contract with SRMC that provides certain job security rules for the nurses and medical technicians.  Employees can only be terminated for improper behavior or laid off due to downsizing. They cannot be terminated and rehired simply to reduce employee pay and benefits to increase the profit margin for a new operator”.

The Union’s position is that SRMC can hire whatever firm they want to run the hospital, but the wages, benefits and due process for job security established in the Union contract cannot be changed by the new administration without going through a proper negotiation process.

Darker commented:  “The new manager, Prem Reddy, has no respect for this community if he thinks he can fly into Redding and fire hundreds of employees who financially support several thousand family members without batting an eye.  He may have gotten away with that in Southern California but Redding is a tight knit community that will not stand for slash and burn corporate tactics”.

The Union is concerned that the cut throat tactics of the new administrators will be the death of the long struggling hospital. 

“This is not what SRMC needs right now.  Who will want health care at a hospital that treats its professional staff this way and where the hospital manager has gone on the record stating that patients only deserve the amount of care they each can afford?”

SRMC under new Management

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

REDDING - A for-profit Southern California hospital company will take over management of Shasta Regional Medical Center. Prime Healthcare Systems, which owns 12 hospitals in Southern California, has signed a multi-year lease agreement to operate the 246-bed hospital, Prime’s Chief Executive Officer Lex Reddy said today. “We’re leasing the hospital with an option to buy”, Reddy said. “We can buy the hospital any time we want.” The agreement becomes effective Nov. 1. Reddy wouldn’t reveal the the specifics of the deal, citing confidentiality agreements with the hospital’s landlord. “You have to wonder, if they can buy it anytime then why not now, said Business Manager Chris Darker. 
Shasta Regional was listed for sale earlier this year with a $100 million sticker price. “We would like to keep the facility open and continue to provide the care for patients in the community” Reddy said. Reddy assured the hospital’s roughly 800 employees that payroll would be made on time Friday, which is payday. Patients won’t notice the change of ownership, Reddy said.
The announcement of the new leadership comes just days after the hospital’s landlord Birmingham, Ala.-based Medical Properties Trust forced SRMC’s parent company Hospital Partners of America from its leadership role. The North Carolina firm hadn’t paid its lease under its agreement MPT, so the trust had rights to remove them, Reddy said.Deals with various suitors including Catholic Healthcare West, the parent of SRMC’s competitor Mercy Medical Center, fell through, Reddy said. MPT, which also owns the land on which three of Prime’s hospitals sit, brought in representatives from Prime to see if the Southern California firm could keep the hospital open, Reddy said.
Another firm, Transition Healthcare Company, was in negotiations with MPT as late as last night, but the Chicago-firm was unable to broker a deal, Reddy said.
Last month, HPA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after defaulting on the $60 million it owed MPT, which bought SRMC’s buildings and property in 2007. The real estate investment trust also bought HPA’s River Oaks facility in Houston, which closed this summer.
Reddy said the deal doesn’t need the approval of the bankruptcy judge holding control of HPA’s assets because the agreement deals specifically with MPT and the Shasta Regional sub-company. Prime bills itself as a progressive hospital company that buys up distressed hospitals and makes them profitable.The company was founded in 2001, by Indian-born cardiologist, Dr. Prem Reddy. Lex Reddy said he his the founder’s brother-in-law.
Prime has been the focus of some controversy in Southern California in recent years because the company is known for improving hospital’s finances by making them more efficient, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal and other press reports.
Such tactics include laying off administrators and other staff and axing outpatient medical procedures that aren’t making large profits.
The cuts drew cries of protests from local health care advocates and labor unions, according to the news reports. “My concern is that we don’t have much background on these folks”, said Chris Darker, the union representative for nurses and other health care workers at SRMC. “Are they going to come in and further downsize the hospital?’ Prime has $224 million in total assets, according to financial data from 2007 which was filed with MPT’s quarterly report from May.

The Redding Record Searchlight contributed this report.
Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or .
Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or .

Redding names new police chief

REDDING - Redding has a new Police Chief. Redding Police Captain Peter Hansen, a 25 year RPD veteran and head of the department’s investigation division. was picked out of a pool of 18 candidates to replace outgoing police Chief Leonard Moty. Hansen, 51, began his career as a deputy sheriff in Riverside County. “This is great news for the department and the Redding community. Pete will make a great Chief of Police”, said Business Manager Chris Darker. Darker worked with and for Captain Hansen in the early 1990’s at Redding Police Department.
In 1983, he joined RPD, serving as a patrol officer and investigator before working his way through the ranks to become captain.
Hansen will will oversee a department of 118 sworn officers, 74 non-sworn personnel and a budget of $26.3 million. His first day is Nov 3, 2008.
Ryan Sabalow of the Record Searchlight contributed to this story.

Child Safety Awareness Month

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

REDDING - November is Child Safety Awareness Month.  UPEC Local 792 will be running a series of Public Safety Awareness television spots during November encouraging the protection of children and promoting healthy environments.  We will be recognizing our social workers, nurses, firemen, law enforcement officers,city and county employees for all they do to promote the well being of children and their families in our communities.

UPEC Participates in Think Pink

Friday, October 24, 2008

Rep. Cinamon Pitts, Rn Debra Belstad and RN Danielle Standley

REDDING - Getting up before the crack of dawn may be a normal day for most but getting out to greet and hand out pink carnations makes it all worth it. UPEC Representatives were out on Court Street in Redding Early Thursday greeting motorists as they stopped by for bags filled with information on Breast Cancer awareness and early detection. Business Manager Chris Darker was behind the scenes helping prepare the bags for members along with Union Rep. Christine Perry and other community volunteer’s to get the information out to the community. “We are proud that we could help this organization get the message out about early detection and that has an important mission that saves lives”, said Darker. Think Pink was originally started in Redding twelve (12) years ago by Dr. Michael Figueroa who practices in Redding. This event has spread across the nation.