Hundreds Rally Demanding Johns Hopkins Hospital End Medical Debt Lawsuits And Respect RN Organizing Rights

Nurses were joined by hundreds of labor and community activists outside Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, demanding hospital officials end their deplorable practice of suing low-income community patients and their families for medical debt. They also called on officials to respect the rights of its RNs to form a union.

"Nurses are the most trusted public servants in our nation. Year after year, they treat the sick and comfort the families. They deserve a full, equal voice on the job—the type of voice that can only be achieved by coming together in a union," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. "We know it won’t be easy. Johns Hopkins is spending millions of dollars to prevent nurses from having a voice. But we know that no corporation or institution is stronger than a committed group of working people willing to risk everything for each other. And when that group of people happens to be nurses, you better believe we are going to win."

Since 2009, Johns Hopkins Hospital has filed more than 2,400 lawsuits in Marylandcourts seeking payment of alleged medical debt from former patients. In more than 400 cases, the hospital has won garnishments of wages or bank accounts.
- PAI News