LCMC: Charity Betrayed

Nurses on picket line outside hospital

Charity Betrayed: LCMC and the Crisis of Health Care Affordability in New Orleans

This new report details disturbing business and financial practices from LCMC Health, including extensive findings on LCMC’s role in the broader New Orleans health care affordability crisis.

Additionally, the report includes details on LCMC executive pay, finding that, since 2013, executive pay has been equivalent to 41 percent of LCMC’s net income. Meanwhile, nurses are striking to make UMCNO a place that can retain staff nurses.

Two nurses smiling and holding signs "Patients Deserve Better, Nurses Deserve Better"

LCMC: Fleecing Patients

Health care in Louisiana is expensive compared to the rest of the country. A major factor driving up health costs in Louisiana are the extremely high prices charged by hospitals like LCMC Health. In fact, data released by Medicare shows that LCMC on average charges its patients more than 5 times the cost of care, a higher charge-to-cost ratio than any other system in the New Orleans area.

 Nurse on picket line holding sign "When You Take On One Of Use, You Take On All Of Us"

Nurse Stories

Short staffing, rampant workplace violence, and lackluster benefits led UMC nurses to vote overwhelmingly to unionize, becoming the first nurses to do so at a private hospital in Louisiana. They are fighting for safe staffing and equitable health care in New Orleans.

The Issues

Nurses on picket line

Charity for Whom?

LCMC has failed to live up to Charity Hospital’s legacy of patient care for all.

Nurses on picket line

Legacy of Greed

Executives are making millions while divesting from the New Orleans community.

Nurses on picket line

Attacking Workers’ Rights

Spending over $1 million on anti-union consultants, rather than investing in patient care.

Together, we can change LCMC’s profits-before-patients health care model. Get involved and take action in support of LCMC nurses and patients.

Videos

Charity Betrayed

Hear from UMC nurses on why LCMC needs to put patients over profits.

We Can Win Anywhere; Nola Nurses Know

Hear from nurses at UMC on why and how they voted to join NNOC/NNU. 

Press releases

A new report from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, the union representing nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans, details disturbing business and financial practices from LCMC Health, the hospital’s owner and operator.
Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans in Louisiana will hold a strike for three days starting Nov. 11 to protest the refusal of the hospital’s owner and operator, LCMC Health, to address concerns about nursing staff retention.
Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans in Louisiana will hold a strike for three days from November 11 to 13 to protest LCMC Health’s refusal to address nurses’ concerns about staff retention in on-going first contract bargaining.
Nurses from University Medical Center New Orleans, patients, and community members will hold a rally and community listening circle on Friday, Oct. 3, outside of LCMC’s Spirit of Charity Foundation Gala in New Orleans, La. They will highlight LCMC’s meager investments in charity care and lack of patient access to affordable health care.

National Nurses United is the largest union of RNs in the United States, with a membership of more than 225,000 RNs in all 50 states. If you’re a nurse interested in organizing a union at your hospital, we can help.

Articles

Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans in New Orleans, La., held their fourth strike in July. The RNs walked off the job for two days to protest LCMC Health’s retaliation against nurses for their union activity and patient advocacy.
Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO) held a one-day strike on May 1, May Day. It was their third strike as they continue to fight for a first union contract with LCMC Health.
Nurses at University Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, held a two-day strike on February 5 and 6. This was the second strike at UMC as nurses continue to demand progress on a first union contract with their employer, LCMC Health. RNs say management’s union-busting stall tactics have stonewalled contract negotiations.