Fight takeover
To the editor:
I received a small check from the class action lawsuit that Hana Etcheverry, a registered nurse, brought against CHI Franciscan in 2019. The $5.5 million suit was on behalf of 7,000 Harrison employees who were not getting compensated for interrupted lunches and breaks and pre- and post-shift work.
I have proudly worked at Harrison intermittently for over 25 years as an RN. I frequently put in extra unpaid hours because of the high standards I set for myself and my loyalty to our community and its health and well-being. I was working for a hospital system that cared.
Once Franciscan took over our hospital, the leadership’s focus quickly moved toward the relocation to Silverdale. Safe staffing ratios and the retention and recruitment of quality staff became secondary. Patient care had become secondary.
CHI’s failures have become regular reading in the media since they moved to Silverdale. From being sued by the state for price-fixing to COVID-19 outbreaks to unsafe staffing levels to long emergency room waiting times to major violations noted by accrediting companies.
Will this settlement change anything? Will this help us retain the hardworking, amazing nurses left? No, it will not. Kitsap’s only hospital is now owned and operated by CommonSpirit, the second-largest health conglomerate in the nation. How can a county of approximately 275,000 residents fight this corporate takeover? Join us at Save Secular Healthcare Washington to ensure that we have equitable and quality healthcare.
Wendy Jones
Bainbridge Island
Support parks
To the editor:
I see the BI Parks board approved the new play structure for children at Fort Ward grounds. I continually support the parks board because they provide top level-headed management of the BI Parks for the benefit of everyone.
Having lived here over 40 years now, I think the parks board does the best job of managing and maintaining all the parks around the island, including many smaller ones that many of us don’t always see.
They deserve a gold star for all they do for the island.
Richard Potter
Bainbridge Island
