MEDIA ADVISORY
For Wednesday, September 4, 2013, 12:30 p.m. EST
Contact: Jeff Hall, 617-281-8384
jeff.hall@1199.org, Twitter: @1199mass
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
Healthcare workers to protest Granite Medical Group in Quincy on Wednesday
Caregivers say Granite referral practices threaten future of Quincy Medical Center and drive up consumer health costs
QUINCY, MA – Healthcare workers will stage a protest and conduct public leafleting on Wednesday outside the offices of Granite Medical Group, an Atrius-affiliated doctors group in Quincy.
WHO: Caregivers from Quincy Medical Center and other area hospitals
WHAT: Protest and leafleting against Granite Medical Group business practices
WHEN: Wednesday, September 4, 2013, 12:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Near the Granite Medical Group offices at the intersection of Congress Street and Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA
WHY: Local hospital workers say Granite has struck backroom deals with high-cost providers South Shore Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton and that Granite is deliberately referring patients away from nearby Quincy Medical Center, including in many instances when QMC would be a more convenient and affordable provider for individual patients.
Caregivers had previously sent a letter to Granite President Guy Spinelli questioning if his group is prioritizing their bottom line at the expense of patients and the Quincy community. Granite is registered as a Massachusetts charitable organization with the Office of the Attorney General, but caregivers warn that recent business practices at Granite seem to prioritize profits at the expense of patient choice.
South Shore and Milton are far more expensive than QMC and local caregivers say some patients of Granite Medical Group may not realize that the Atrius-affiliated doc group is driving patients towards higher priced hospitals, even when not medically necessary.
The questionable referral patterns of Granite Medical Group have been a major barrier to the financial recovery at QMC and caregivers say they are taking their concerns public in an effort to save QMC and to inform patients of their right to receive care at the hospital of their choice.
“Patients deserve to know if Granite Medical Group is referring them to hospitals where equal care might cost more or be less convenient for individual patients or families,” said 1199SEIU Vice President Enid Eckstein. “This is also about making sure the city of Quincy has a functioning hospital and local emergency room in both the short and long term. We are encouraging Granite Medical Group to be more transparent with patients and to think about what impact their business decisions are having on jobs and care in the community.”
# # #
Representing more than 400,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Washington, D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all.
For Wednesday, September 4, 2013, 12:30 p.m. EST
Contact: Jeff Hall, 617-281-8384
jeff.hall@1199.org, Twitter: @1199mass
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
Healthcare workers to protest Granite Medical Group in Quincy on Wednesday
Caregivers say Granite referral practices threaten future of Quincy Medical Center and drive up consumer health costs
QUINCY, MA – Healthcare workers will stage a protest and conduct public leafleting on Wednesday outside the offices of Granite Medical Group, an Atrius-affiliated doctors group in Quincy.
WHO: Caregivers from Quincy Medical Center and other area hospitals
WHAT: Protest and leafleting against Granite Medical Group business practices
WHEN: Wednesday, September 4, 2013, 12:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Near the Granite Medical Group offices at the intersection of Congress Street and Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA
WHY: Local hospital workers say Granite has struck backroom deals with high-cost providers South Shore Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton and that Granite is deliberately referring patients away from nearby Quincy Medical Center, including in many instances when QMC would be a more convenient and affordable provider for individual patients.
Caregivers had previously sent a letter to Granite President Guy Spinelli questioning if his group is prioritizing their bottom line at the expense of patients and the Quincy community. Granite is registered as a Massachusetts charitable organization with the Office of the Attorney General, but caregivers warn that recent business practices at Granite seem to prioritize profits at the expense of patient choice.
South Shore and Milton are far more expensive than QMC and local caregivers say some patients of Granite Medical Group may not realize that the Atrius-affiliated doc group is driving patients towards higher priced hospitals, even when not medically necessary.
The questionable referral patterns of Granite Medical Group have been a major barrier to the financial recovery at QMC and caregivers say they are taking their concerns public in an effort to save QMC and to inform patients of their right to receive care at the hospital of their choice.
“Patients deserve to know if Granite Medical Group is referring them to hospitals where equal care might cost more or be less convenient for individual patients or families,” said 1199SEIU Vice President Enid Eckstein. “This is also about making sure the city of Quincy has a functioning hospital and local emergency room in both the short and long term. We are encouraging Granite Medical Group to be more transparent with patients and to think about what impact their business decisions are having on jobs and care in the community.”
# # #
Representing more than 400,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Washington, D.C., 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all.
