Registered nurses at HCA Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, Calif., will hold a rally on Wednesday, June 4 to highlight their solutions for patient safety, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). 

“As a profit-making machine, HCA has enough resources to implement nurses’ common-sense solutions for patient safety,” said John Pasha, RN, in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and who is an elected nurse representative and member of the bargaining team. 

Good Sam nurses are in contract negotiations and pushing for contract measures that would improve patient care and nurse retention, including scheduling transparency and fairness, ample break reliefs, and fair compensation and benefits. 

“Our main goal in negotiations is ensuring HCA invests its astronomical profits back into our community by providing safe staffing and working conditions to recruit and retain nurses,” said Lydia Vasovich Gmerek, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit and who is the elected chief nurse representative and member of the bargaining team.

What: HCA Good Samaritan Hospital RNs rally for safe patient care and a fair contract at HCA What: Rally for safe patient care and fair contract
When: Wednesday, June 4, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Good Samaritan Hospital, 2425 Samaritan Dr., San Jose, Calif.

HCA’s prioritization of profits and productivity over patient safety and fair work environment for nurses has led to a rash of troubling conditions at Good Samaritan. Long wait times in the ER, understaffing and high turnover rates, lack of adequate break reliefs, lack of transparency in staffing practices, and hostile work environments created by management are some of the top issues nurses combat daily and seek to rectify through the new union contract.

Vasovich, RN continued: “We have a long way to go to achieve our bargaining goals. The contract expires on June 30 and the possibility of a strike for patient safety and proper care is becoming more imminent.” 

Founded in 1968 by two members of the Frist family and Wall Street venture capitalist Jack Massey, HCA is believed to be the largest hospital system in the United States, making it the largest privately owned for-profit hospital system in the country, as well. Thomas Frist Jr., one of the company’s cofounders, is one of the 100 richest people on the planet according to Bloomberg and Forbes. HCA regularly posts annual profits greater than $1 billion.  

CNA represents nearly 1,000 registered nurses at HCA Good Samaritan Hospital. CNA/NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest nurses union. CNA/NNOC/NNU represents more than 10,000 registered nurses at 19 HCA facilities in seven states.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.