BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) "We are blessed to have the soul of Mercy back," the first words from Catholic Health President and CEO of Catholic Health during an appearance on WBEN Wednesday.
Sullivan reacting to the ratification of six four-year contracts for Mercy Hospital employees, members of Communication Workers of America, Local 1133. Workers started returning to the job Wednesday morning after a five week strike.
"We're forward focused," said Sullivan. "It wasn't just negotiating at the table. We were working closely with CWA in building something. When the fog clears and the nation, state and region look at what we built, and the courage it took to build it, it took that time," he said.
The healing process is underway. Catholic Health has invested in classroom seminars. As of Wednesday morning, over 200 managers and associates have attended classroom seminars that focus on listening and understanding each others feelings.
Sullivan maintained before and during the strike that the healthcare system in America is broken. He said there are currently 21 health systems either on strike or going on strike in the U.S.
"We need elected officials to transform the reimbursement system which dates back to the 1980's. Number two, last year was a record breaking year for payers in the community. Insurers made tens of millions of dollars while ECMC, Kaleida and Catholic Health lost hundreds of millions of dollars. We need to make sure there's a balance," said Sullivan.
The CWA contracts are seen as a blueprint for healthcare around the country.
How proud is Sullivan, and is it sustainable? "Those are two separate questions," he said. "I'm very proud of what we built with CWA. It's definitely a model for the country. Sustainability is another question. That is the lynch pin. We need to take another look at how healthcare is reimbursed, how it's structured and it will be precedent setting," said Sullivan.
