06/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/09/2025 14:02
Rochester, Mich.-- Henry Ford Rochester Hospital is open to the community during the strike by OPEIU Local 40, with a plan in place to ensure the safe, high-quality care patients deserve. We will update this page with new information as necessary.
The following statement addresses claims about patient safety, staffing ratios, and strike statutes.
Henry Ford Health's greatest priority is and always will be the wellbeing of our patients, team members and the community. Henry Ford Rochester Hospital has a process in place to ensure our units are staffed in a way that provides the safe, high-quality care patients deserve. We deeply respect our nurses' unique, professional expertise and include nurse leadership in any staffing decisions. Mandatory staffing ratios, like the one the union is proposing, hinder our ability to continuously adjust staffing based on patient need.
Henry Ford Health complies with all applicable federal labor strike laws, which take precedence over state statutes. We respect our employees' right to strike; at the same time, it's crucial for us to engage contracted nursing staff during the strike to ensure there is no disruption to patient care or hospital operations.
We would have preferred to have our Henry Ford Rochester Hospital nurses working in our hospital, but the striking nurses were unwilling to provide us with any assurances they would provide care for our patients. As a result, we were forced to make difficult decisions about staffing and needed to make patient care our priority. We look forward to welcoming them back to work.
Henry Ford Health Statement | June 6, 2025
Henry Ford Rochester Hospital will remain open to the community. We have a plan in place to ensure the highest standard of care and safety for our patients and team members. We believe strongly that the offer we've made to our nurses is a fair, competitive, and thoughtful investment in our future together.
Consistent with our commitment to nurses across our health system, our offer includes competitive wages and benefits, while ensuring safe staffing and a sustainable financial future for our hospital.
We remain grateful for our talented nurses and the care and compassion they bring to our patients and our organization every day, and we are steadfast in our commitment to a culture that values their unique, professional expertise. We look forward to welcoming those who have chosen to strike back to work.
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