Residents air concerns over Tuba hospital

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

TUBA CITY — While concerned community members gathered on Wednesday to air concerns with the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, the woman who organized the meeting said that this first meeting was essentially a success.

Hospital CEO Joe Engelken agreed to look into several issues that were raised by the community members and former employees. Engelken was present at the meeting with several administrators and the hospital’s attorney.

Serita Dale, who represents Tuba City and Winslow hospitals to the Labor International of North America 1376 union, said that the problems began when the Tuba City hospital went the P.L. 93-638 route for self-determination. She said she has received complaints from former and current employees that they were being harassed and some have been terminated.

Dale no longer works at the hospital but helped to organize the meeting because many employees and former employees have been approaching her as the union representative.

“There’s so many employees that have been terminated and we wonder why. What’s happening?” she said.

The Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation CEO though was surprised to hear the comments from former employees and community members as he sat in the audience listening.
“It’s kind of overwhelming,” he said.

To approach the problem, he requested for Dale to submit the comments and questions from the meeting in a report form.

One concern that was brought up was addressed by the CEO. Dale said that employees were being told by management that there was no union recognized, but Engelken told the Independent that there is a union and it has been in existence for many years.

Asked why employees were saying that they were being told there was no union, he said, “It’s mystifying. I look forward to answering that question.”

He said that the hospital is “passionately concerned” about the patients and he will work with Dale to respond to the issues that will be submitted