SAVE OUR HOSPITAL

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Brandon Nessen (651) 236-0919 bnnessen@gmail.com

Allina to dissolve longstanding hospital board just weeks after hospital

workers announce plans to run for seats
Fridley, MN The North Suburban Hospital Board (which governs Unity Hospital) is planning to vote on
resolutions Wednesday that would dissolve the public body just weeks after three healthcare workers filed
their candidacy to challenge incumbents and less than two months before the general election on November
8th.
The Save Our Hospital candidates, Linda Hamilton, Corbin Mattila and Bridget Lundquist launched their
campaign August 16th, pledging to bring transparency and accountability to the Board for the surrounding
communities that Unity Hospital was created to serve. Hamilton is former President of the Minnesota Nurses
Association. Mattila and Lundquist both work for Allina Health.
Allina and their handpicked Hospital Board members are showing they will do anything to avoid being held
accountable by not only their employees but also the tax payers and citizens in the northern suburbs, said At
Large candidate, Linda Hamilton, RN who is the former President of the Minnesota Nurses Association. This
blatant attempt to undermine voters and democracy must be stopped.
Supporters of the Save Our Hospital campaign plan to attend the Board meeting on Wednesday to ask the
Board to consider delaying any hasty decision until after the election in November so voters have the chance
to weigh in. The meeting starts at 6:30pm at Unity Hospital 550 Osborne Rd in Fridley, Class Room B.
Hamilton, Mattila and Lundquist were prompted to run by growing public concerns about Allinas recent
closure of the birth center at Unity and a reduction of cardiac and surgical services which have all been moved
out of the area to Allinas Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids.
An often overlooked local government body, the Hospital Board has expansive authority over Unity Hospital,
including the adoption of rules for operation and administration, imposing and collecting charges for facilities
and services, levying taxes, borrowing money and issuing bonds and among several other powers (Minn. Stat.
447.33 Subd.2(1). The North Suburban Hospital District currently levys approximately $2 million per year
through property tax on residents in the five-city district.
Three of six total seats (At-Large, Mounds View and Spring Lake Park) are up for re-election board and each
board member serves a 4 year term. The other three seats (Blaine, Fridley, and Hilltop) will be up for
reelection in 2018. Unless Allina succeeds in their attempt to avoid a democratic vote, Hamilton, Mattila, and
Lundquist will appear on the general election ballot November 8th.
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