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A few comments from the inside... 1- inpatient numbers have not declined at Kent Hospital, if that is a true statement I would welcome seeing the actual data. It sounds like a generalized statement about hospitals in either in Rhode Island, or other hospitals in the "CNE" corporate network of hospitals.

2- millions have been spent on consultants to find ways to cut costs, cost cuts that are impacting patient care, taking nurses and cna's away from valuable time needed with our patients. The use of less expensive cleaning products, which are effective, but have deleterious effects on patients and staff at the hospital. Patients wait for tests that are needed and emergent because staffing cuts to transporters, environmental personnel, etc. Just to name a few on the top of the list.

3- prior to Obama Care the CEO of CNE (this is public information) was making over 1 million dollars, which I understand that to have an effective CEO a corporation needs to pay competitive salaries- but don't blame this on Obama Care - a very easy statement to make with out factual information.

4- again public information CNE put a loss on the books of several million dollars, but what is not written next to that is the return on investment income that brought the actual loss to approximately 1 million dollars which is pennies to a corporation the size of CNE.

5- Care givers at kent hospital, in which I included every hospital worker that has direct or indirect contact with patients, environmental, transport personnel, dietary, engineering, cna's and nurses, are not asking for 23% raises, we are asking that our pay isn't cut by 23%. There is a perception that we in the union are being greedy and should take one for the team. If that were needed to keep kent hospital afloat we would do that. It's just not the case. No bed in kent hospital is with out a patient very long. We are forced to work in staffing situations that are quite often sub-optimal to providing care that meets best practice standards. Do we all go above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent care absolutely! Do most nurses work for free 30min a shift by not having time to take breaks...absolutely - do we complain about it no because being a care giver to patients in need is a calling not, just a job, it's an honor and a privilege to care for those who need us. We do it with a smile on our face! That's the kind of people we are... Will we sit back and let corporate greed and bloated executive's salaries take our rightfully earned salaries with out a fight - no way! Don't mistake kindness and compassion with weakness.

To the kent county community you all should be up in arms about what Care New England is doing to your care givers... If what Care New England proposes comes to pass you all will loose many of the care givers you have come to know and love just due to the simple fact that we won't be able to support our families with a 23% cut in pay - which would include a doubling of our health insurance premiums, huge deductibles and out of pocket expenses for health care, no longer being able to see our own personal physicians if they aren't in the CNE network of doctors, our kids will no longer be able to go to their pediatricians who have known them since birth unless they are under the CNE umbrella of providers. Loss of overtime pay because we are understaffed and over worked which leads to the need to stay late most shifts. No corporate contributions to 403b's and pension plans. This is just a few of the many cuts Care New England wants to make to our current compensation package. Having said that how will we pay back our student loans if we are forced to accept such illogical pay cuts and increased expenses. Please I ask the community to support us and become informed about the truth, of what is occurring at Kent Hospital.

This is not occurring because of voting for the Democratic Party, or because of "Obama Care!" Just thought you all might like to know what's going on from the inside...