/R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - Nurses Mourn Cuts at The Ottawa Hospital:
Will rally outside the Civic Campus Today/

OTTAWA, June 23 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) member registered nurses will wear black to work and rally outside the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital today to mourn the RN cuts and bed closures planned for the facility.

The RNs will gather outside the front entrance of the hospital at noon to hand out information flyers to the public and express their anger and concern for patients.

The Ottawa Hospital has announced it will cut 90 RN positions and close 28 beds, despite being over 100 per cent capacity much of the time. In addition, the hospital will shut down the operating room at its Riverside campus for much of the summer in an effort to cut costs.

"The RN cuts will have a devastating impact on our patients," notes Bargaining Unit President Frances Smith, RN. "RN hours are being cut on the medical and surgical units. Support staff have been cut or reduced on many of the units. There has been closure of 28 in-patient surgical beds as well as the closure of the operating rooms at the Riverside campus. Ottawa residents must take these cuts to heart and speak out against them before they or a loved one in hospital experience the effects."

The flyers urge Ottawa residents to send a message to their MPP, the Health Minister, the Premier and hospital CEO Jack Kitts to stop the cuts and restore quality patient care. Ottawa residents can visit a webpage set up specifically for them to easily send the message at www.ona.org/toh.

ONA is the union representing 55,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

    
    WHAT: Nurses Hold a Rally & Information Picket to Protest RN Cuts,

    WHEN: Rally June 24, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, board meeting at
          3:00 pm

    WHERE: The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa
    

For further information: Ontario Nurses' Association, Sheree Bond, [phone], ext. 2369 or cell [phone]