FUNDS DURING A PANDEMIC.
HE SAID HE IS GOING TO LOOK AT
HOLDING BACK FUNDING.
JUAN: A SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
HOSPITAL SUSPENDED AT LEAST TWO
NURSES FOR POSTING ABOUT WORKING
ON A COVID-19 FLOOR AND THE NEED
FOR MORE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
KCAL9'S KRISTINE LAZAR SPOKE
WITH THOSE NURSES AND HAS A
RESPONSE FROM THE HOSPITAL.
REPORTER: JONNA PORTER IS A
REGISTERED NURSE WITH MORE THAN
A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE, AND SHE
WANTS TO BE WORKING ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
INSTEAD, SHE IS SIDELINED AT
HOME.
IT JUST FELT LIKE IN A WAY I
WAS KIND OF RETALIATED AGAINST
FOR SPEAKING UP AND ASKING FOR
HELP.
REPORTER: PORTER WAS PLACED ON
UNPAID LEAVE TWO WEEKS AGO AFTER
SHE MADE A POST IN A PRIVATE
FACEBOOK GROUP FOR THE NURSE IT
IS ON HER FLOOR AT WEST BROOK
HOSPITAL.
OUR FLOOR IS BECOMING THE
COVID FLOOR, SO BE CAREFUL.
REPORTER: PORTER ALSO LISTED THE
ROOMS THESE PATIENTS WERE BEING
TAKEN INTO.
AT THE TIME, LIKE I SAID, WE
DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS AIRBORNE
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE
DANGERS WERE.
REPORTER: PORTER WAS DISCIPLINED
BECAUSE THE HOSPITAL SAYS SHE
POTENTIALLY VIOLATEDDED HIPAA
WHICH PECKS PATIENT -- PROTECTS
PATIENT PRIVACY.
I DO FEEL A LOT OF IT HAS TO
DO WITH THE FACT THAT 20 HOURS
PRIOR I'D POSTED ON MY OWN
PERSONAL FACEBOOK PAGE THE FEAR
OF THE LACK OF PROTECTION THAT
WE WERE BEING GIVEN FOR PPE.
REPORTER: PORTER'S FELLOW RN AT
WEST HILLS ALSO ON UNPAID LEAVE
AFTER SHE TOO MADE A POST -- HE
TOO MADE A POST ASKING FOR
DONATIONS OF PROTECTIVE GEAR.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE
CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE IT'S ALL
ABOUT SAFETY.
REPORTER: BOTH NURSES ALL HAVE
THIS PROTECTIVE GEAR SITTING IN
THEIR HOMES.
THEY SAY WEST HILLS HOSPITAL
WON'T LET THEM DELIVER IT TO
THEIR COWORKERS.
IT SEEMED TO ME THAT BECAUSE
I WAS THE MOST OUTSPOKEN ABOUT
THE LACK OF PPE AT THE HOSPITAL,
IT SEEMED THAT THEY WERE
ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO SILENCE ME
