SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – After 26 years in the St. John Providence Hospital OR, Greg Bozimowski clocked out for the final time this week.
"It was very difficult, you know, to just walk away and not have that, it's strange," he said.
A new company, PSJ Anesthesia, which is owned by Dr. Dominick Lago, is taking over nurse anesthetist services at the hospital. The company said it actively recruited current Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and "offered compensation package comprising the identical base salary as the certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) currently earn, as well as a competitive benefits package.
The CRNAs agree, but the two-year contract automatically renews after two years. There were no face-to-face negotiations. Moreover, CRNAs say, when they asked to see the policies and procedures they would be working under none were provided.
"Policies and procedures, the way things operate, how they can function in their careers matters to them greatly," said Dave Shea, attorney for the CRNAs.
When one nurse posted a cartoon on her Facebook page, Largo threatened a defamation suit, even though it did not mention him or his company by name.
For Bozimowski and 65 others, trust was broken.
"It wasn't about the money. It was about the way things unrolled. It just felt like, what would the work environment be like going forward?"
CRNAs said initially there will be a loss of chemistry in the OR. St. John Providence Hospital said it is prepared.
"All anesthetizing locations are 100 percent operational, and will continue to provide safe and efficient anesthesia services without any interruption in care," the hospital said in a statement.
But nurses said while vacancies can be filled, chemistry and OR teamwork is not so easily replaced. They are concerned quality of care will suffer.