9/18/2025

IRONWOOD -   Nurses in Ironwood rallied along US-2 between Ironwood and Bessemer near the hospital yesterday against the closure of Aspirus Hospital’s obstetrics unit and in support of a fair union contract.

The OB unit is scheduled to close December 31st, a decision critics say will force U-P families to drive nearly an hour, sometimes in harsh winter conditions, just to deliver a baby. Michigan already struggles with access to maternity care in nearly one in five counties. R-N Sarah Trudgeon heads the local nurses’ union and warns the closure could have lasting effects on the community.

                    :15  "They are making staff changes and staff cutting at Aspirus Iron River and now this, so it's just really frustrating. It's that all of our UP hospitals that will need to have the hospitals around because we're so rural, are just taking cut after cut."

Aspirus says the Ironwood closure reflects a new model of care and points to OB/GYN shortages, adding it will continue providing prenatal and postnatal services locally after labor and delivery ends at the end of December. The hospital's nurses have also been bargaining with Aspirus for a new contract since May 6th. Trudgeon says she’s concerned some nurses may leave altogether, adding to the staff shortage.

:13  "Everybody is able to work in a different department in the hospital. And there will be opportunities, I'm sure, for them to work in another department, if they choose to, but if they like OB there, you know, unfortunately, we might end up losing some nurses because of that."

The nurses contend Aspirus executives walked away from the table and are demanding concessions - and did not accept a 1.2-million-dollar state grant that had been allocated to support obstetric services. Yesterday’s protest did NOT result in a work stoppage at the Ironwood Hospital.