Profession
PRN joins new partners
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 21, 2004
Physicians for Responsible Negotiation, the physician collective bargaining organization the American Medical Association House of Delegates created in 1999, officially teamed up with the Service Employees International Union June 1.
In March, PRN announced that it would operate "as an entirely independent organization with no connection to the AMA." Both sides said the split was amicable.
SEIU is the nation's largest health care union, and PRN becomes the third doctor affiliate for the organization. PRN joins the Committee of Interns and Residents, which represents resident physicians, and the Doctors Council, which represents salaried physicians, as part of SEIU's National Doctor Alliance. The three unions represent 20,000 physicians, according to the SEIU.
"This new alliance will create a stronger and more united voice on critical professional and patient care issues," SEIU President Andrew Stern said in a statement.
PRN will reach out to non-salaried and private practice physicians.
"Together we can build on our own accomplishments, reach out to physicians around the country and help provide a more effective voice for doctors facing a rapidly changing medical system," said PRN President Mark Fox, MD, an otolaryngologist.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/06/21/prbf0621.htm.
