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Do better

Tuesday, Sep 13, 2022 – Posted by Rich Miller

Nurses represented by the Illinois Nurses Association are joined by colleagues from the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees Union to conduct informational picketing to call attention to the woeful staffing conditions at both Chicago-Read Mental Health Center and the Illinois Veterans Home at Chicago.
Chicago-Read Mental Health Center is a state-run inpatient JCAHO-accredited facility with between 150 and 200 beds located on the northwest side of the city.

The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Chicago offers 200 private rooms with baths. Its open floor plan creates community around pods of living and dining spaces. The home accommodates veterans seeking skilled nursing and memory care.

In 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statement announcing a statewide recruitment and retention campaign to more fully staff state-run health agencies. According to INA, the agencies have not responded to this clarion call for new staff.

Nurses who work at the VA Home at Chicago have filed a number of complaints about inadequate staffing and consistent payroll issues. According to the INA, The Chicago VA location employs 12 RNs and these nurses care for 24 veterans. Nurses are often required to work alone during the day shift and families of the vets have rightly inquired about why there only one nurse taking care of all 24 patients. Several families have pulled their Vet out of the Chicago VA because of the lack of RNs.