St. Francis
withdraws
TRO request

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By Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.com

A request for a temporary restraining order filed in Circuit Court on behalf of patients at St. Francis Medical was withdrawn yesterday morning. It would have allowed some nurses to return to work.

A hearing on the matter was originally scheduled for Thursday.

Attorney Burham Greeley, who made the request on behalf of St. Francis patients, said it was withdrawn because his clients had achieved their objectives.

"Our initial concern was staffing for three units -- hospice, transplant and dialysis. The reasoning (for the withdrawal) was basically that we felt we achieved what we wanted to achieve," he said.

Greeley said he was informed by the hospital that the majority of nurses who work at St. Francis' Hospice facility had returned to work. A procedure for union nurses to return to work if needed in the organ transplant unit was worked out between the hospital and the Hawaii Nurses Association, he said. And lastly, replacement nurses hired by the hospital to work in its renal dialysis facilities will likely be in place by the end of this week.

St. Francis spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett said three replacement nurses are already working in the hospital's dialysis unit.

"So we're hoping by Friday, all patients will be back on their regular dialysis schedule," she said.

Meanwhile, nurse picket lines continue at St. Francis, Kuakini and Queen's medical centers with no new negotiations scheduled.