NEW BEDFORD After serving Southcoast Health for three years, North American Partners in Anesthesia will not have its contract renewed, causing a stir among current and former health care workers.
In May 2018, NAPA replaced the former anesthesia group, Anesthesia Associates of Massachusetts, which is now disbanded. AAM s contract employees served Southcoast Health medical facilities for 20 years. Critics say NAPA made promises to President Keith Hovan that it didn t keep. Word had spread around the hospital that NAPA promised to cover all three of Southcoast Health s locations Tobey, St. Luke s, and Charlton for $1.8 million less than AAM while retaining 90% of existing staff. In total, the decision to switch from AAM to NAPA affected roughly 10 doctors and about 25 CRNAs at St. Luke s and a handful from Charlton. The Standard-Times was unable to access official contracts between Southcoast Hospitals and NAPA and AAM.
NEW BEDFORD After joining the Massachusetts Nurse Association in fall 2018, nurses at St. Luke s Hospital say they are unhappy and have now taken a re-vote on unionization.
Since joining the MNA, nurses state that there have been no raises or contracts. Many have changed their minds about union representation after seeing little to no change since joining the MNA. The MNA has represented Tobey Hospital for many years now, said Jennifer Sousa, a registered nurse at St. Luke s. Those nurses have no better benefits or wages than we ve had without a union. We are now unable to receive a raise until there is a contract.