Emergency Room Nurses Stage Sickout

Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center was forced to divert ambulances away from its emergency room Friday after all 13 of its emergency room nurses called in sick, officials said.

The one-day sickout, which union leaders said was organized by the nurses, reflects labor unrest at a county hospital that saw 130 doctors and other health workers dismissed Monday as a cost-cutting measure.

John Wallace, a spokesman for the county Department of Health Services, said King/Drew’s emergency room remained open for walk-in patients, but trauma patients were sent to other nearby hospitals.