KOP Nurses, Local Leaders To Speak Out Against For-Profit Healthcare

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — A group of nurses and community leaders will speak in King of Prussia Wednesday in protest of Universal Health Services (UHS)

Nurses with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents more than 8,000 nurses across the state, will be joined by State Senator Sharif Street, Upper Merion Supervisor Gregory Waks, and other unions to speak out against the for-profit healthcare company.

Specifically, speakers will address issues of patient safety and understaffing that they claim the company has not addressed. The speakers will hold a press conference at the Universal Health Services headquarters at 367 South Gulph Road in King of Prussia at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. UHS is holding a shareholders meeting there on Wednesday as well.

UHS claims that the event will not be taking place, at least not on their property.

"There will be no press conference held tomorrow at the UHS corporate office," Roselle Charlier, a spokesperson for UHS, said by email Tuesday. "This is private property, and we have not authorized such an event."

"It's hard to provide quality care as a Registered Nurse when we are staffed unsafely," said Dawn Walker, a registered nurse and president of the local chapter of the nurses union. "UHS’ skeletal staffing puts nurses in unsafe circumstances that lead to workplace violence, exposure to blood borne pathogens, and doesn't allow nurses to go to the bathroom. We take care of some of the most vulnerable patients who need more care and supervision, not less. UHS must follow the law by improving safety and staffing for my coworkers and our patients."

UHS' Fort Washington facility, the Brooke Glen Behaviorial Hospital, was fined $32,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in January for a variety of violations including workplace violence, lack of staff, and nurses not being able to take bathroom breaks.

"UHS denies any claims or contentions of illegal practices," Charlier said. "We see PASNAP’s media efforts as merely a tactic to attempt to influence the current negotiations at Brooke Glen, a local healthcare provider owned by UHS. We believe that these matters are best addressed at the facility through bargaining with representatives of the facility and the union."

Patch file photo