Nurses oppose Measure AA, criticize Tenet's hospital management issues

Nurses Challenge Hospital Sale to Tenet Healthcare

Registered nurses at Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Palm Springs, California, have voiced their opposition to Measure AA, a proposed ballot initiative that seeks to transfer control of the hospital to Tenet Healthcare, a for-profit company based in Dallas. This move would remove public oversight of the facility, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). Currently, DRMC is managed by Tenet under a lease agreement with the Desert Healthcare District, which will last until 2027. The nurses are represented by the CNA.

“Measure AA is not an ‘investment’ in Desert Regional, as its supporters say, but a shakedown that would let Tenet transfer or sell the hospital for a huge profit to someone else after 10 years,” said Deborah Edwards, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at DRMC. Edwards emphasized that the Desert Healthcare District can continue to lease the hospital without imposing additional taxes on the local residents.

Edwards further criticized Tenet, stating, “Tenet’s priority is profits, not patient care. We are chronically short-staffed, which saves Tenet money, but jeopardizes patient care.” She also noted persistent maintenance issues at the hospital, such as malfunctioning elevators, sewage leaks in patient rooms, and the presence of rodents in the intensive care unit and cockroaches in the emergency room’s break room.

Despite these concerns, DRMC remains financially stable. In fact, it was Tenet's most profitable hospital in California in 2023, generating over $500 million in profits from 2018 to 2023. Opponents of Measure AA argue that the initiative will not lead to taxpayer savings but instead will allow the sale of a vital public healthcare resource, cutting off local input on its management.

Moreover, Measure AA could limit the Desert Healthcare District board's ability to allocate taxpayer funds within the community. The proposal includes a noncompete clause that would restrict the district's investment in alternative healthcare resources, which raises questions about Tenet's commitment to the Coachella Valley's healthcare needs.

In September 2023, Tenet put forth a proposal to renew its lease and purchase DRMC. Despite this, nurses have consistently opposed the sale and remain committed to preserving DRMC as a public hospital. They have long raised concerns about Tenet's failure to address maintenance and staffing issues.

The California Nurses Association represents over 850 nurses at DRMC. CNA/NNU is recognized as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with more than 100,000 members in over 200 California facilities and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.

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