With the announcement that Southcoast Health and Care New England plan to merge healthcare systems, healthcare workers are keeping a close eye on the process.

Jerry Fishbein, area Vice President of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, his members want to be a part of the process every step of the way to ensure continued accessibility to quality care. "(Ensuring) That there isn't a disruption to patients, and that the merger will improve the care that's available and access to the care that's available. And that prices are not impacted in the sense that they're increased," says Fishbein.

Fishbein says details on the possible merger are scant, since the process is still in it's infancy.

He adds the union does not anticipate any job cuts as a result of the merger, but will continue to watch carefully as the process unfolds.

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