PeopleImages/iStock
Nurses at Petaluma Valley Hospital are accusing hospital owner Providence of sabotaging the maternity ward. Providence has been planning to close the maternity ward. One nurse tells the Press Democrat more than half of the ward’s 20 obstetrics nurses have either left to another hospital system, applied for jobs at Providence-owned Santa Rosa Memorial, or taken a job in another unit at Petaluma Valley. The nurses believe their colleagues are being lured away so the maternity ward will close sooner. Providence has said it wants to close the ward because of staffing issues and trouble securing anesthesia coverage.