Letter: Listen to nurses and technicians at Down East Community Hospital

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On April 22, the Bangor Daily News published a story saying that the nurses and technicians at Down East Community Hospital (DECH) are going on strike.

As a former physician of the facility, I was privileged to work with the registered nurses, technicians, and staff in the inpatient unit, laboratory, and imaging departments to provide patient care at the hospital. The staff are undoubtedly committed to their patients and their community. The level of professionalism, commitment, and compassion I saw was what you would expect in a rural community hospital: Patients were treated with respect and like family.

There’s no doubt that without this highly qualified staff, the hospital would not be able to function.

The nurses and technicians at DECH are from the community, live in the community, and are an active part of the community. It is very unfortunate that there is a pending strike. I hold the registered nurses and technicians in the highest regard and know they have the best interests of their community and patients in mind as they negotiate for a fair contract.

Hopefully the hospital will listen to what the nurses and technicians say is needed to keep the existing staff and bring additional staff into the hospital to serve the community’s patient needs.

Kevin Jenkins

Conway, N.H.