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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
Despite having a stellar track record during her 34-year career at the
hospital, Ms. Boly was fired in June 2013 for low productivity and
poor professionalism. She filed a grievance, then a wrongful termina-
tion suit. A jury awarded Ms. Boly, 59, more than $3 million: $916,000
for lost wages based on a retirement age of 67, $625,000 for emotional
distress, $1.5 million in punitive damages and $880,000 for legal fees.
Legacy Health has appealed the jury's decision. "We continue to dis-
agree with the verdict and will be pursuing all avenues available to us
to appeal the matter," says Brian Terrett, a spokesman for the heath
system.
Not only was she the highest paid nurse in her unit with $88,000 in
annual wages, but she was never one to shy away from controversy or
questioning authority. Ms. Boly complained that the pre-op phone call
quotas were arbitrary. She also contends that she was singled out for her
rebellious past. She worked to pass Oregon's Nurse
Staffing Law, which was designed to give nurses more influence over
decisions that might affect patient care. She testified before the Oregon
Legislature about her concerns that Legacy's time standard caused nurs-
es to rush and compromise patient safety. And she also joined a group of
nurses that tried, unsuccessfully, to organize a union at Legacy hospitals.
The appeals process could take another 2 years. She's working as a
per diem nurse without benefits. With 2 children still in school and a
disabled husband, she's the breadwinner. She's also an unsung hero to
nurses everywhere who refuse to compromise on patient care. "Most
of us are scared to death of speaking out and getting punished," she
says, "but you're talking about peoples' lives."
OSM
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