Valley Health System Caregivers, Members of SEIU UHW, to Announce Endorsement of...( HEMET Calif. Oct. 10 /- Valley He...),Health

HEMET, Calif., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Valley Health System (VHS) caregivers, members of SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West (UHW), voted overwhelmingly last week to endorse Measure G on the November 6th ballot. A formal announcement is scheduled for Thursday, October 11th, 12:00pm, at the steps of City of Hemet's Public Library, 300 E. Latham Avenue.

UHW is the largest union of VHS employees, representing more than 1,000 members at Hemet Valley Medical Center, Menifee Valley Medical Center and Moreno Valley Community Hospital.

If passed, Measure G would approve the sale of VHS, including all three hospitals, to Select VHS Acquisition Company, LLC. The hospitals would be managed by Quorum Health Resources, an outside company with a nationwide hospital management track record.

Without the sale, VHS hospitals risk bankruptcy and possible closure. If these hospitals and their emergency rooms close, area residents -- including UHW members -- will face a drive of up to 45 minutes in order to receive vital emergency care.

"It is critical that we pass Measure G to keep our hospitals and emergency rooms open and to improve the quality of healthcare we provide our community," said SEIU-UHW member Sue Cornelius, a Sterile Processing Technician at Hemet Valley Medical Center.

Measure G will not only save VHS hospitals from bankruptcy and closure, but will also facilitate investment in state-of-the-art equipment and the construction of new cardiac and cancer treatment centers.

Select VHS Acquisition has also committed as a formal condition of the sale to maintain and improve the level of medical care by ensuring hospitals stay open and are staffed by trained, qualified professionals.

"VHS hospitals are in desperate financial condition and Measure G is the only realistic option to preserve our community's healthcare," added Helga Kelly, a Monitor Observer at Menifee Valley Medical Center.

WHAT: Formal announcement endors
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