Night shift employees at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital work 12-hour shifts, ensuring that patients receive care around the clock. Unfortunately, they currently face a significant challenge as they are not given adequate access to food and beverages during their work hours. In the next couple of weeks, the cafeteria will be shutting its doors at 10 PM, leaving those on mid and night shifts with very limited options.

Employees, patients admitted during the night, and overnight visitors all deserve access to meals and refreshments. The cafeteria closing so early forces employees to get their meals less than three hours into their shifts if they need to get food and pay via badge, which is detrimental and impractical.

A feasible solution would be to keep the cafeteria hours until 1 AM. This would accommodate not only the staff but also visitors and patients who arrive late in the evening. Many patients spend hours in the Emergency Department where they only have access to turkey sandwiches and applesauce. Dinner trays for inpatients are served around 5:30pm, leaving patients without full meals if they’re not admitted before those hours. Therefore, this change of hours is affecting staff, patients, and visitors that are staying overnight.

Ensuring equal meal access will not only benefit hospital staff but also improve the overall experience for patients and their families. It's time to acknowledge and support the tireless effort of night-shift employees by providing them with similar amenities that are available during daytime hours.

By signing this petition, you are supporting a change that will positively impact Jackson-Madison County General Hospital's employees, patients, and visitors. Let's make a difference together by advocating for adequate access to meals and refreshments during the late-night hours.