SEIU-UHW Putting Communities at Risk by Threatening DCHS Hospitals Chance for Survival, Discloses Prime Healthcare

ONTARIO, Calif., Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Prem Reddy, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prime Healthcare, today released the following statement:

"Over the past few weeks, SEIU-UHW has relentlessly attacked Prime Healthcare's acquisition of the Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS), continuing a pattern of misleading the public while pursuing their personal agenda. Most tellingly, despite the self-serving efforts of the SEIU-UHW and its political allies, they increasingly find themselves in the minority.

"The fact is that Prime Healthcare is the only option to save the DCHS system and prevent inevitable closure. If this acquisition is not approved by the California Attorney General, all the communities DCHS currently serves will be left with no safety-net community hospitals, thousands of jobs lost and potentially disastrous consequences for hundreds of thousands of patients left without access to care.

"Prime Healthcare's acquisition not only will save these facilities for their communities, but it also will infuse $150 million in capital improvements, protect 7,600 jobs, continue all charity care and assume nearly $300 million in pension guarantees for more than 17,000 union and non-union active and retired workers.

"Prime Healthcare has the support of thousands of patients, staff, nurses and doctors – the very people who would be impacted most by this acquisition. It has the support of the entire DCHS system after an exhaustive review process concluding Prime was "by far the best choice" to continue their legacy. It has the support of labor unions that care about the future of their members, such as the California Nurses Association. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United acknowledged the need to move forward to protect these hospitals and entered into an agreement with Prime Healthcare last month.

[The CNA release can be found at: http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/entry/rns-new-accord-would-keep-open-daughters-of-charity-hospitals/]

"The only opposition to this acquisition comes from the SEIU-UHW in a self-serving and irresponsible bid to gain power. The SEIU-UHW continues to make false allegations and political threats as part of their vicious "corporate campaign" against Prime Healthcare for years. However, the facts about Prime Healthcare remain unchanged. Prime Healthcare is an award-winning hospital system with 29 hospitals across the country, providing over 35,000 jobs. Our hospitals are committed to charity care with over $2 billion dollars in charity care provided since 2010 (twice the California state average) and preserve needed access to healthcare through the most efficient emergency rooms for over half a million patients annually.

"Unfortunately, certain SEIU-UHW leaders are putting personal ambition ahead of the interests of their own members, as well as the interests of patients and communities who face the potential loss of vital hospitals and emergency rooms that they rely upon for essential care. While their bullying tactics may work elsewhere, Prime Healthcare will not compromise its ability to ensure continuing access to quality healthcare in California.

"SEIU-UHW has been insisting for years that any deal require that every eligible employee of Prime Healthcare be required to join SEIU-UHW without informed choice, including nurses who are not traditionally organized by SEIU-UHW. This is unfair and ultimately crippling. It wasn't that long ago when a secret recording of Dave Regan's threats against Prime surfaced wherein he insisted that he would make Prime Healthcare 'heel' to his demands and will continue to 'be public and beat them up.' That's Regan's way, using bullying tactics and threats rather than representing the best interests of his members or patients.

[Los Angeles Times: "SEIU vows to boost criticism of hospitals resisting partnership" (June 13, 2014) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-seiu-deal-20140614-story.html ]

"Prime Healthcare will not bargain away the rights of our employees to choose whether or not they want to unionize or which union they want to join if they wish to unionize. Prime Healthcare will not compromise our ability to ensure access to quality healthcare, bow to self-serving tactics by SEIU-UHW, nor will we turn our back on the communities whose hospitals we hope to save and serve faithfully."

About Prime Healthcare:

Saving Hospitals, Saving Jobs and Saving Lives.  Prime Healthcare is an award-winning hospital system with 29 acute care hospitals providing more than 35,000 jobs in nine states. Based in California, Prime Healthcare is committed to providing the absolute best quality hospitals possible. It has been recognized as among the "100 Top Hospitals" in the nation 27 times, among the "15 Top Health Systems" three times and is the only "10 Top Health system" West of the Mississippi. Our hospitals have been recognized by The Joint Commission as having eight among the "Top Performers on Key Quality Measures" in 2013. Prime Healthcare is dedicated to serving our patients and communities. Since 2010, our hospitals have provided more than $2 billion in charity and uncompensated care. We provide more charity care than any other hospital system in California (excluding public hospitals) and nearly double the state average. With over $800 million invested in capital improvements since 2005, we are committed to transforming all of our hospitals into award-winning centers of excellence. For more information, please visit www.primehealthcare.com. 

SOURCE Prime Healthcare Services

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