News & Events
Nurses Ready to Help McLaren Re-Open Cheboygan Memorial Hospital
04.24.2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dawn Kettinger, (517) 721-9688, dawn.kettinger@minurses.org
MNA praises announcement of tentative deal for ER, other services
Registered nurses who worked at Cheboygan Memorial Hospital were thrilled to learn tonight that their community will soon have emergency care and other health services again. Many of the 37 nurses, all represented by the Michigan Nurses Association, attended a community rally tonight at which McLaren announced that it plans to re-open the hospital’s emergency and ambulatory care departments.
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital closed on April 3 after a deal with potential buyer McLaren Health Care fell through. CMH was the only hospital in Cheboygan County; residents now must travel at least 30 miles for an emergency room or hospital care. About 400 employees lost their jobs, sending a devastating economic ripple effect through the region.
“CMH nurses never gave up fighting for our community’s health care, and we are thrilled that McLaren didn’t give up, either,” said Lori Trestain, a nurse who worked at CMH. “The loss of our hospital was devastating to Cheboygan and people in towns all around us. CMH nurses are thankful that we will be there to re-open the hospital and provide the services our community needs. We want to thank McLaren and we urge everyone to continue to work together to make sure this deal goes through so our community can move forward.”
The rally, organized by community members, was intended to focus attention on the need for a solution to save the hospital. McLaren’s announcement of a tentative deal with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in partnership with Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey, came as a surprise. A hearing scheduled in bankruptcy court on April 30 must still take place, and details of when the hospital might re-open are pending.
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The Michigan Nurses Association represents more than 10,000 registered nurses statewide, advocating for them and their patients.
