To the editor:

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Allina Health Care and the City of Springfield announced plans for Allina to take over the clinic in Springfield that Mayo is closing. As nurses at the New Ulm Medical Center it’s important to us that communities in rural Minnesota have access to excellent health care. We’re sorry to hear that Mayo still plans to close the hospital in Springfield, because longer drives are not good for patients. When our neighbors from Springfield arrive here at the hospital in New Ulm, know that our nurses will welcome you with open arms!

For the past few months, as nurses in New Ulm are bargaining a new contract, we have been told that the hospitals must remain financially viable and must look to the future. As nurses we believe that we are an important part of that future. Over the years we have lost many nurses to other hospitals. So, we offered proposals that would attract and retain great nurses who want to serve our community for years to come.

Unfortunately, these contract negotiations aren’t going well. Our response to the news that Allina is taking over the clinic in Springfield is to ask Allina to also invest in the staff that make our hospital such an important place in the community. We are a top-performing critical access hospital, and that wouldn’t be possible without the nurses who care for patients night and day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

We are so grateful to be able to care for the members of our community. We are asking that Allina also put some emphasis on caring for us, the caregivers.

Connie Grams, RN

Jody Kuelbs, RN

Scott Konz, RN

Angie Foster, RN

Lexie Classen, RN

The MNA New Ulm

Negotiations Committee