Nurses Picket To Address Patient Care Concerns At Indio Hospital

INDIO, CA — Nurses at JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio will host an informational picket Wednesday to address concerns regarding patient care and workplace conditions.

The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at 47111 Monroe St. The nurses are represented by Service Employees International Union 121RN, a member-led union of more than 11,000 registered nurses and other health care professionals.

Officials said their issues of contention include inadequate training and wages, insufficient staffing, and badly needed facility upgrades.

"Our morale has been plummeting for years, and Tenet seems unconcerned," Tracy Pryor, operating room nurse at JFK, said in a statement Tuesday. "If things continue this way, we won't have that next generation of nurses to give patients the compassionate care they deserve at JFK," added Pryor, who has worked at the hospital for 28 years.

The union also claims training periods for new nurses haven't increased since the coronavirus pandemic, which they say could lead to grievous errors.

"At JFK, new nurses tell us they lack sufficient training, and veteran nurses feel undervalued," SEIU121RN President Leo Perez said.

A spokesman for Tenet Healthcare California, which owns JFK, said the picketing would not affect hospital operations.

"Our hospital will be in full operation tomorrow and open for all services. We are currently involved in bargaining with the union and will continue to negotiate in good faith in hopes of reaching a successful contract," Richard Ramhoff, group director of marketing at Desert Care Network hospitals, said in a statement provided to City News Service. "Our focus is to provide high quality health care to our community and a positive work environment for our employees."

The rally will involve nurses with picket signs who will be joined by community members and local elected officials.