We Stand with Annalise & Michael!

Since 2013 our colleagues have proudly represented ASMCA’s ECMO program at the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) annual conference. The only exception was in 2021 at the height of a COVID surge during which they remained in Austin providing care to our community.

This year ASMCA encouraged and supported Annalise and Michael in developing a poster for the conference. As the hospital’s ECMO Coordinator, Michael had already made a significant contribution toward earning ELSO’s designation as Center of Excellence Gold Level for ASMCA. Both Annalise and Michael understood that if their poster was accepted by ELSO, Ascension would send them to Boston in September to present their work at the conference.

Now Ascension has arbitrarily rescinded that promise.

This is yet another example of why registered nurses at ASMCA are unionizing. When Ascension says they can’t do something, we know it often means they choose not to—whether that’s investing in nurse retention to ensure safe staffing levels, hiring enough support staff to allow nurses to focus on nursing, or making sure every unit has appropriate equipment and supplies.

After Annalise and Michael were informed that Ascension would no longer fund their participation in the conference, ELSO invited them to create a second poster highlighting the exceptional ECMO Program as ASCMCA.

Ascension’s “healthcare heroes” shouldn’t have to resort to GoFundMe to attend a conference where their participation will enhance their hospital’s reputation and provide educational benefits to their ICU.

Nevertheless, Annalise and Michael are determined not to allow Ascension’s out-of-touch decision making prevent them from attending the conference.

We are asking our colleagues in the ICU as well as our friends and family to donate to this important fightback. All funds raised, minus GoFundMe’s fees, will go directly toward expenses that Ascension would normally reimburse.

A contribution of any amount will show Ascension that when you take on one of us, you take on all of us!