More than 50 nurses, clinicians, and supporters rallied on the streets of Portland Friday to call for the immediate removal of three managerial staff members at the MaineHealth Care at Home.
More than 70 members sent a petition of no confidence in its leadership after six members of the pediatric team were suspended, and two were terminated. The National Nurses United union says the suspensions followed a claim of alleged neglect of a patient that was investigated and found to have no merit. Morgan Starkweather, a pediatric occupational therapist, got her job back but says the relationship with managers at MaineHealth Care at Home has been severed and they should be removed.
"We are standing here today to have two nurses reinstated and made whole. I also think it's really important to advocate for the patients and their families who missed care because of this incident and were not contacted appropriately as one would expect," Starkweather said.
The two nurses who were terminated say they will pursue arbitration to settle their cases. MaineHealth released a statement saying, “The no-confidence petition directed at MaineHealth Care at Home by National Nurses United comes amid an ongoing disciplinary proceeding involving individuals it represents."
