Nurses and Community Leaders to Address Johns Hopkins Hospital's Charity Care and Patient Safety Issues

On Saturday, December 1, 2018, nurses from Johns Hopkins Hospital will present findings from three new reports at a town hall event titled “Hopkins Nurses Speak Out!” The meeting is set to take place at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture in Baltimore from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The event will feature participation from local Baltimore Councilmembers, including Shannon Sneed, Kristerfer Burnett, Zeke Cohen, and Robert Stokes, Sr., as well as Maryland Delegate Brooke Lierman. Community leaders such as Reverend Marlon Tilghman, Pastor Betty Robinson, and Dr. Marisela Gomez will also respond to the findings presented.

The reports will cover critical issues affecting patient care at Johns Hopkins Hospital and its impact on the surrounding Baltimore community. The topics include:

• A unit-by-unit survey of patient care conditions revealing chronic problems such as inadequate staffing and poor equipment.
• An analysis of the hospital's tax exemptions and public rate support compared to the charity care and community benefits it provides.
• An assessment of the institution's handling of workplace violence, highlighting insufficient protections for both nurses and patients.

Nurse Kimberly Henriquez expressed enthusiasm about sharing the report findings, emphasizing the significant gap between the hospital's public image and the realities faced by staff and patients. Fellow nurse Annie Embertson encouraged community members to join the discussion, aiming to hold the hospital accountable to its founding mission.

Reported by HarborBeat based on National Nurses United (source).