Burlington Free Press, October 7, 2010 Fletcher Allen Health Care is reviewing options that could alter the way it provides renal dialysis to patients with kidney failure - including the option to have an outside company operate the dialysis services the medical center offers at six locations. The possible privatization of the Fletcher Allen dialysis program worries some staff and patients. “It is frightening to imagine having such an incredibly important facet of Fletcher Allen outsourced,” said Mari Cordes, president of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, the union that represents the nurses and renal technicians ... Fletcher

Susan Smallheer, Rutland Herald, August 1, 2010 Springfield - Springfield Hospital is laying off six or seven registered nurses as it copes with a $3 million budget gap. Glenn Cordner, chief executive officer at the hospital, said a total of 14 full-time equivalents have been eliminated, but with attrition and some job consolidation, only six or seven people are losing their nursing jobs, which pay on average $30 an hour. The moves are expected to save the hospital $1 million, plus the cost of the employees’ benefits, he said. Cordner said the hospital’s expenses are down and gross charges are up, but net revenue is down $3 million more than expected through June. ... Springfield

Molly Walsh, Burlington Free Press, February 4, 2010 Vermont nurse Mindy Pariser walked off a plane at Burlington International Airport on Wednesday night and rushed to embrace her waiting 2-year-old daughter and husband. After caring for Haitian earthquake victims at a make-shift trauma hospital for two weeks, the Williston resident was grateful to reunite with her family and confident that her decision to volunteer in the wake of the January 12 disaster was the right thing to do. Her motivation for going boiled down to one core belief: “You want to take care of people who need you.” Pariser is among a half-dozen Vermont nurses, doctors, emergency ... Vermont

Associated Press, July 10, 2006 Burlington - A tentative contract settlement has been reached between Fletcher Allen Health Care and its nurses union. The 562-bed hospital, Vermont's largest, and leaders of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals struck a bargain on a new, three-year contract late Saturday night, in time to beat the midnight expiration of the last agreement. But it took 39 hours, beginning Friday, for all of the details to be completed. ... Tentative

Burlington Free Press, July 10, 2006

Fletcher Allen Health Care and the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals agreed on a tentative three-year contract late Saturday night after a 39-hour negotiating session that began Friday morning. ... Jennifer Henry, president of the nurses' union, said the main issues that were resolved included retaining the preference of local nurses over traveling nurses, better language on scheduling, more education days, better differential pay for night and weekend shifts, and a more equitable pay scale. ... FAHC

WCAX, July 10, 2006
Burlington - Details were released Monday of the new contract for nurses at Vermont's largest hospital. Under the terms, 15-hundred registered and licensed practical nurses at Fletcher Allen will earn 7 percent raises in each of the next three years. They will also get more education days to attend skill learning seminars. The nurses union is expected to ratify the new contract this week.
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Leslie Wright, Burlington Free Press, July 7, 2006

Labor talks between Fletcher Allen Health Care and the hospital's nurses resumed Thursday after more than a week off and just days before the expiration of their contract. A federal mediator has been called in as work continues toward a settlement that has eluded the two sides in four months of negotiations.

The three-year contract between Fletcher Allen and the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Local 5221, representing 1,500 nurses is set to expire at midnight Sunday.

Talks are scheduled to continue today. ... Federal

Kate Duffy, Channel 3 News, July 6, 2006

Burlington - The fight for a new contract had Fletcher Allen nurses rallying Thursday night. The current contract for the hospital's 1,400 nurses expires July 9th at midnight. They've called in a federal mediator to help make a deal.

No one will talk specifics about what they're asking for, but they say the sticking points are overtime, health care benefits and time off for furthering their education. ... Nurses

Peter Freyne, Seven Days, May 10, 2006

It's been four years since Howard Dean ruled the roost in Montpeculiar as governor, but his clout lives on!

That was demonstrated last week when H.227 suddenly came off the wall in Sen. Jim Leddy's Senate Health and Welfare Committee. The bill, backed strongly by the nurses' union, would set "safe staffing" levels in Vermont hospitals in order to guarantee "quality patient care."

H.227 had zipped through the House but was rotting on Leddy's wall. Rotting, that is, until Howard Dean got involved. ... Ho-Ho

Jill Fahy, Burlington Free Press, March 10, 2006

An agreement signed between the nurses union and Fletcher Allen Health Care on Thursday will give nurses more say in how the hospital staffs various wards.

The agreement settles a December 2004 grievance, in which the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals complained there were not enough nurses on duty during each shift to care for patients.

Under the revision to the nurses' contract, nurses will join management and union leaders in determining how individual hospital units should be staffed. ... Agreement

Associated Press, March 10, 2006

Burlington - The nurses' union and Fletcher Allen Health Care have reached an agreement that will include nurses in decisions about staffing at the hospital.

The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals had filed a complaint in December 2004 that there was an insufficient number of nurses working to provide quality care to patients.

A change to the nurses' contract will allow nurses and union officials to help determine how each ward is staffed. ... Nurses

Nannette Inglis, Wallingford, Rutland Herald, December 1, 2005

It is outrageous that the Rutland Regional Medical Center intends to change the pension plans of their nurses.

While in the waiting room for our ration of care at the hospital, much conversation ensues among patients regarding the wonderful work the nurses at the hospital do, and how important it is to us to keep the continuity of care going. If answering honestly, any provider at the hospital would have to state that their own delivery of care to patients would be impossible without the nurses. ... Hospital

Associated Press, November 17, 2005

Rutland - Officials at the Rutland Regional Medical Center say they will seek to implement changes to the hospital's pension system despite opposition from unionized nurses.

Administrators are hoping the nurses will reverse their opposition to their plan to end the defined benefit pension plan in favor of a defined contribution plan. The switch could save the hospital $5 million a year. ... Rutland

Rutland Herald, November 16, 2005

Members of the nurses union at the Rutland Regional Medical Center have rejected a move by administrators to change their pension plan.

Robert Manning, a lawyer for the union, said the nurses voted against the measure Tuesday by a "substantial margin" but declined to give specific numbers citing fears of retaliation.

"In a democratic action, the nurses have expressed their displeasure at the hospital taking away the defined benefit (pension) plan and replacing it with a lesser pension plan," he said. ... RRMC

Wilson Ring, Associated Press, November 12, 2005

Montpelier - Thousands of foreign nurses immigrate to the United States with the help of the Vermont Board of Nursing, without ever visiting the state or planning to live or work here, officials say.

The nursing board processes applications for the foreign trained nurses so they will be able to take the nationwide licensing exam and, if they pass, get a Vermont nursing license. ... Thousands