HYANNIS – Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) are expressing their concerns about Cape Cod Healthcare’s decision last week to furlough 600 Cape Cod Healthcare workers, even as the organization admitted it is projected to lose $74 million this fiscal year.
The furlough includes over 50 nurses and a number of healthcare professionals.
“Nurses and other members of our health care team are astounded by this callous and short sighted decision, which we believe will place all of our patients in jeopardy and have dangerous consequences for the remaining staff, who are already exhausted from working under what has been the most trying time for healthcare workers,” said Shannon Sherman, registered nurse and chair of the Massachusetts Nurses Association local bargaining unit at Cape Cod Hospital.
“We have been risking our lives and our families’ lives every day for our community and this healthcare system. This is so utterly disrespectful, this will affect and impact all aspects of patient care, there is no way that we can care safely for our patients without our support staff.”
Cape Cod Healthcare CEO Michael Lauf said that while he feels like the Cape has been relatively successful in their fight against the virus, a decision had to be made as Cape Cod Healthcare’s revenue stream continues to drop.
“The financial losses that this healthcare system and this community are taking are historic,” said Lauf.
“Every single facet of the health system has been impacted. I can’t stress it enough.”
Lauf said that the system was able to go as long as it could possibly go without making the decision and they were able to pay their entire 5,700 member workforce for eight weeks while the pandemic was continuing.
He added that those who have been furloughed are still receiving all of their medical benefits and are still Cape Cod Healthcare employees.
Still, members of the MNA say that the cuts come at a bad time.
“While this has been very stressful to the nursing staff at Cape Cod Hospital over the last two to three months, to be having a reduction of staff with a furlough when our census is going up, this seems premature and dangerous,” said Michelle Brum, vice chair of the nurses bargaining unit and a nurse in the post anesthesia care unit.
“We’re going to need all the help we can get to give the best care to our community and this will only add to the stress level of the nurses.”
Also announced last week was that members of the Cape Cod Healthcare senior management team will be taking a 12.5 to five percent reduction in salary through October.
The decision to cut staffing levels in the midst of a pandemic comes as the only federal aid received by Cape Cod Healthcare was in the initial round of funding offered through the CARES Act, and Lauf said that the money was included in the $74 million loss number.
Lauf added that he has been in contact with Governor Charlie Baker, Congressman Bill Keating, and other state leaders regarding more aid.
“We compromised our entire model to be there for our government, to be there for our citizens, and to be there for our community and to be there for our employees,” continued Lauf.
“I think it ought to be recognized.”
One of the primary concerns for nurses is that the 30-day furlough could be extended with the chance that some could get laid off permanently.
“It’s a huge concern, it is our number one concern,” said Sherman.
“What we have asked in our conversations is that there be a specific start date and an end date. If for some reason nursing administration or hospital administration wants to extend past that we are requesting that they contact the union representation and then we will discuss it with them.”
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