California Hospital Association Slams Back at Nurse Union Following Patient's Death

Nearly ten days have passed since Judith Ming died at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and the investigation is far from being complete.

On Sept. 22, around 23,000 nurses left their position and joined a one- day strike, whose purpose is to support mental health workers at Kaiser Permanent involved in a contract dispute at the same time. But it is the one- day strike that led to the patient’s death.

Judith Ming, a 66 year-old ovarian patient, had been in the hospital since July. She died at hospital named Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on Sunday morning during the California nurses strike.

Cheryl Archer, Ming’s neighbor said that her friend has been battling with Ovarian cancer and she appeared to be gaining strength during her visit about two weeks ago.

According to the local policeman, the cause of her death was the nurse replacement. The regular nursing was locked out and could not return to their position on the next day.

The replacement nurse gave the patient an overdose of medication, which caused death of Ming.

The Alameda County Coroner's Office has not yet completed the autopsy on Ming. The Oakland police and official are working on autopsy and looking for the evidence of Ming’s death. The Oakland police and Alameda County coroner’s official declined to release any additional detail about the investigation because it is still ongoing.

The hospital officials have not yet described the reason of Ming’s death. However, they acknowledged Ming died from medical error.

The patient death is not a result of the lockout,” Vice President of Medical Affairs at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Dr. Steve O'Brien said.

This could have happened the day before the strike, the day of the strike, the day after the strike, he added.

Also, O'Brien acknowledged that the all replacement nurses are qualified by claiming every single one of the nurses is an experienced nurse that has been working in the areas to which they are assigned.

Meanwhile, California Hospital Association (CHA) has slammed the nurses union in its own website.

“It is inappropriate and irresponsible for the California Nurses Association labor union to exploit this tragedy to further their union agenda,” CHA President and CEO C. Duane Dauner said in a statement issued late Sunday.

“This is the same union that has taken nurses away from patient bedsides more than 100 times during the past three years. It also is unfortunate that the nurses union is questioning the qualifications of other nurses providing patient care.”

Both sides were willing to put in jeopardy the welfare of patients. What is the final solution for it? Leave your comment below.