/R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - Ontario Nursing Leaders in Quinte:
Discussing Area Hospital Service, Nursing Cuts/

TORONTO , Oct. 6 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN and Vice-President Anne Clark , RN are in the Quinte Region today to discuss the implications of planned service cuts, nursing cuts and bed closures at Quinte Health Care and surround area.

Haslam-Stroud is joining nursing leaders and ONA members from the area for the meeting. Noting that cutting nurses is cutting care, Haslam-Stroud says that Quinte-area residents will pay the costs of these cuts.

"Every nursing position cut means the loss of 1,950 hours per year of nursing care to the community," she says. "The breadth of change in Quinte has very serious implications for this community, and we are here to see how we can fight for quality patient care."

Haslam-Stroud is available to speak to the media at the Waring House in Picton on Tuesday at 6:30 pm .

ONA is the union representing 54,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals and more than 10,000 nursing students providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

    
    What:     ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN and Vice-President
              Anne Clark, RN available to speak to members of the media in
              Picton.

    When:     Tuesday, October 6, 2009 from 6:30 pm

    Where:    The Waring House (at the junction of Hwy. 33 and County Road 1,
              1.5 km. west of Picton)
    

For further information: Ontario Nurses' Association: Sheree Bond [phone], ext. 2430, cellular: [phone]; Ruth Featherstone [phone], ext. 2267