For Immediate Release
Contact: Bernie Mulligan, 518.469.2035, bernie.mulligan@nysna.org
Photo Opportunity Available
HARLEM, September 26, 2012 — Nurses congratulate the Harlem Healthcare Center and will join tomorrow’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening its mural exhibit.
But they say Mayor Bloomberg and top HHC administrators need to do more to support Harlem Hospital Center — by providing enough nursing staff to safely meet the needs of patients. Nurses will also be leafleting at ceremony to express their concerns.
The Mural Pavilion at Harlem Hospital Center will feature works depicting healthcare traditions in Harlem originally commissioned by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Arts Project (WPA/FAP) in 1935.
The ceremony is sponsored by the Harlem Healthcare Center and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC).
Scheduled to speak at the ceremony are Mayor Michael Bloomberg, HHC President and CEO Alan D. Aviles, as well as hip-hop recording artist and HHC Global Ambassador Kaseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean.
The WPA murals were the first major commissions from the US government awarded to African-American artists.
The nurses at Harlem Hospital Center are part of the largest local chapter of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). There are more than 8,000 NYSNA members working at HHC facilities.
In a leaflet distributed outside the event, NYSNA nurses celebrate the mural exhibition while calling on Mayor Bloomberg to improve staffing and implement safeguards against workplace violence.
“As Harlem Hospital Center nurses, we are proud to serve our community and our patients. We need more nurses-- improved staffing would provide the best working environment possible in which to serve patients,” says Kittie McGee, RN, who works as a clinic nurse at Harlem Hospital Center.
The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is New York’s largest professional association and union for registered nurses. The association represents registered nurses, and some all-professional bargaining units, in New York and New Jersey. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.
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