Oceanside Kidney Center Ranks High
In National Survey
After weeks of tense negotiations, nurses at Sharp HealthCare have endorsed a three-year contract that promises more pay, less mandatory overtime and greater input on nursing issues.
The nurses approved the contract June 15.
Under the terms of the agreement, nurses will receive pay raises of between 6 percent and 10 percent for the first year and between 4 percent and 8 percent in the second and third years.
Sharp also agreed to scale back mandatory overtime, promising to use the policy only during declared emergencies such as natural disasters or during a medical crisis, said Eileen Cornish, Sharp’s spokeswoman.
Effective June 15, nurses will have greater say in terms of staffing needs and patient care through registered nurse advisory committees, Sharp said.
Michael Murphy, Sharp’s president and CEO, said, “both bargaining teams demonstrated willingness to compromise and worked diligently to put together a fair and equitable contract.”
Negotiations picked up in late April, as the contract was to expire May 31. Talks bogged down, which led nurses to vote for a 10-day intent-to-strike notice late last month.
Union officials were prepared to give their strike notice last week, but decided against it after Sharp officials “began to take the union’s concerns more seriously,” said Chris McGovern, president of the Sharp Professional Nurses Network/United Nurses Associations of California.
On June 15, nurses ratified the tentative agreement reached a week earlier.
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Kudos:
The North Coast Kidney Center in Oceanside announced it has been ranked among the 300 top dialysis service-providers in the country.
According to a national survey administered by the Health Care and Finance Administration, a government agency, the kidney center ranked among the top of the 3,000 dialysis providers surveyed nationwide.
Dr. Richard Barager, medical director of the kidney center, said the center and its partners, specialized providers in the North County area, work hard to provide all-around and prompt patient care.
“TCMC provides in- and out-patient care for related services, including cat scans, laboratory work, X-rays, cardiology, blood transfusion and physical therapy,” Barager said.
The center is owned and operated by Fresenius Medical Care AG of Bad Homburg, Germany, and serves 160 patients.
The kidney center is located at the Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside.
Del Mar (Health) Fair:
This year, visitors to the Del Mar Fair may think twice about indulging in such sinful foods as cotton candy and cinnamon rolls.
Blame the health experts at the gate.
The health expo, located at the entrance to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, provides better eating tips, free screenings for blood pressure and prostate cancer, fitness routines and relaxation exercises. The expo is produced by HealthQuest, a New York-based company that sells vitamins, skin care products, herbs, homeopathic products and minerals, and will run through the fair’s end on July 4.
Please send health care news to mwebb @sdbj.com or by fax to (858) 571-3628.
