Nurses on Strike Say They Tried to Help Church Shooting Victims but Were Turned Away at Genesys Hospital

The hospital has released a statement

GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Several nurses who are on strike outside Genesys Hospital, now owned by Henry Ford Health, told me they were on the picket line when the shooting occurred at the nearby church. They say they rushed toward the hospital to help but were not allowed to go inside.

Spokesperson Lauren Zakalik for the hospital released the following statement:

“As our Henry Ford Genesys Hospital team members continue to provide compassionate, expert care on this heartbreaking day, we want to both acknowledge the claims that striking Teamsters’ nurses want to return to work to help – as well as explain why we are unable to welcome them back.

• For security and patient privacy purposes, striking team members do not have access to our systems, including electronic medical records, nor are they able to access medications. That would make it impossible to provide patient care.

• Because of the indefinite strike, we’d already made alternative staffing arrangements. Henry Ford Genesys Hospital was appropriately staffed Sunday and team members were able to care for the patients from the church tragedy without additional help.

• Bringing too many team members into a fluid, multi-casualty emergency situation has the potential to endanger or compromise the ongoing care.

We look forward to continuing negotiations but respectfully ask we do not use this day as a bargaining tool. Our hearts reman with the victims of the tragedy, our patients, their families, our community, and our devoted team members.”