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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TideGlider who wrote (337690)	1/4/2003 3:44:36 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

You're imagining things. And here's your "criminal" Tenet letter. A Senator trying to get a hospital up and running again in his state. Hospital strikes can cost lives. Duh. Letter from Senator Kerry to Tenet CEO United States Senate Washington, DC 20510-2102 One Bowdoin Square Tenth Floor Boston, MA 02114 April 26, 2000 Mr. Jeffrey C. Barakow Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tenet Health Care 3820 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Jeff, The purpose of this letter is to share with you my concerns about the on-going labor dispute at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, MA. Since Friday, March 31, 2000, the majority of the nurses have been on strike and it is my hope that this situation can be resolved quickly. St. Vincent’s provides a vital service to the larger Worcester community, and I know first-hand the quality and dedication of the nurses that staff the facility. I believe that the long-term health of St. Vincent’s is at the core of their concerns. A majority of the nurses reside in the very community that depends on the services provided at the hospital, and many of the nurses have worked there for the majority of their professional lives. Specifically, I am concerned that mandatory overtime puts an undue burden on the nurses, and I believe that the practice has the very real potential to decrease the quality of care for which St. Vincent’s and its staff is justly recognized. I believe that nurses are acting in good faith and remain hopeful that the substantial common ground shared by both parties does not become overshadowed by the points of difference. My support of the nurses does not take away from my awareness and concern about the overall fiscal health of our hospitals, since the breadth of my role dictates that I work on behalf of all the residents of the Commonwealth, be they employers or employees. Last year I proposed the most comprehensive and far-reaching bill aimed at reducing the cuts inflicted by the Balanced Budget Act, and this immensely important bill lost by only one vote. Throughout the rest of this session and into next year, I will continue to work on stabilizing the federal funding mechanisms that affect hospitals. However, my ability to maintain that level of advocacy is hampered when I see evidence that fiscal burdens are being managed by mandating that nurses perform extra hours of work. I remain hopeful that, as long as a productive dialogue is in place and both parties act in good faith, a resolution will surface soon. Thank you for your attention in this matter. Sincerely, John F. KerryUnited States Senate