Striking St. Vincent nurses end Monday's negotiations saying hospital presented ‘disappointing’ proposal

WORCESTER — St. Vincent Hospital cut back on its services Monday, implementing a “very difficult decision.”

“It was a very difficult decision to make because we know it impacts the lives of so many in Central Mass.,” St. Vincent Hospital CEO Carolyn Jackson said in an interview Monday. “But as COVID increases, it’s been more difficult to make sure we can staff beds with nurses, and it was a decision we had to make in order to preserve the core services of St. Vincent and preserve the jobs of other staff.”

Meanwhile, a negotiating session with nurses Monday ended without a resolution.

“Tenet (the owners and operators of St. Vincent Hospital) presented a ‘disappointing’ proposal that fails to provide what the nurses need to end the strike,” the Massachusetts Nurses Association said in a statement. “In response, the nurses ended the session so they could share the hospital’s proposal with their members at a meeting tonight as they prepare a response to present at talks scheduled for tomorrow.”

St. Vincent Hospital announced last week that it was cutting back on some services.

According to the hospital, inpatient staffed beds will be temporarily reduced by 80 beds — representing 29% of medical/surgical capacity; 25% of critical care capacity; and 50% of inpatient psychiatry capacity.

Procedural areas will be temporarily reduced by eight rooms, or 26%, including reductions in the operating room, cardiac catheterization lab, endoscopy and interventional radiology, according to the hospital.

Select outpatient services will also be temporarily closed, and planned service enhancements will be postponed, the hospital said.

The hospital blamed the ongoing nurses’ strike for the cuts. The nurses — who have been on strike since March 8 — called the move a “ploy.”

Jackson said Monday that more than 90% of the cuts had been implemented, with only a few exceptions in medical/surgical beds and some beds in the progressive care unit due to patient care needs.

The remaining cuts would be completed next Monday, she said. Jackson said she is not sure how long the cut in services would continue.

Meanwhile, Jackson reported that hiring for replacement nurses “is going quite well,” with some departments — for example, same-day surgery — approaching 80% of positions filled with replacements. Jackson could not say how many replacement nurses in total have been hired, but added that the hospital is offering signing bonuses between $5,000 and $10,000 for nurses new to the organization.

Finally, Jackson said she expected talks to continue Tuesday afternoon.

She declined to discuss specifics of the hospital’s latest proposal.