The hospital where several victims from the Michigan church shooting and fire were sent to on Sunday was Henry Ford Genesys in Grand Blanc – a hospital where Teamster nurses have been on strike since Sept. 1.
The shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McClandlish Road left four victims dead and eight others injured. The shooter also died at the scene. Law enforcement officials said Monday that everyone who was in the church at the time of the attack has now been accounted for.
“Our nurses, without hesitation, put down their picket signs and ran to help. Their courage and selflessness in the most harrowing of times speak volumes about who they are—not just as professionals, but as people,” Teamsters Local 332 said in its statement about the incident.
But under the circumstances, they were not allowed to cross a picket line and work at the hospital. Contract nurses and other team members are filling in for the interim, hospital officials previously said. A spokesperson with Henry Ford Health said having employees who were not authorized to work because of a strike would have made the situation more complicated.
“We understand and appreciate the Teamsters’ instinct to care for their neighbors during this time of heartbreak. For the reasons outlined below, we could not welcome them back yesterday. When the Teamsters gave notice that they planned to strike indefinitely, we made arrangements to care for the community in every circumstance. The hospital was fully staffed with experienced caregivers and able to care for all our patients, including those injured in the shooting and fire,” the hospital said in a statement.
Dr. Michael Danic, medical chief of staff for Henry Ford Genesys, said Monday that despite the staffing situation, “the trauma team was really well prepared for this; they activated the mass casualty incident command.”
In regard to the nurses who were not able to be on staff, he said, “We’re very happy that the instinct was to help and we have a great, loving community, and the instinct was there, but I cannot comment on the work stoppage.”
The nurses’ contract expired in June, and negotiations started in April. The disputes include the nurse-to-patient ratio and premium pay details.
The above video aired Sept. 1.
