Oregon Nurses Association Statement on Negotiations with Providence Medford

Medford, Ore. - On Tuesday, November 19 nurses from Providence Medford once again met for negotiations with hospital management. Coming off a unifying rally on Monday, the nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association came to make a deal. But Providence executives failed to show up with a serious offer. Instead, its salary proposal was worth less than what was offered to nurses in May and is much lower than what Rogue Regional offers its nurses.

From the minute the session started it was clear that Providence was not serious about treating its nurses with respect. It has repeatedly shown that it is not serious about maintaining a hospital that cares for patients in Medford, and it is not serious about following its mission to serve all, especially the poor and vulnerable.  

As a $29 billion corporation who pays its CEO more than $11 million a year, Providence is choosing to shortchange its frontline caregivers. It routinely chooses profits over patients by failing to recruit and retain the backbone of its workforce - nurses. Reports are that more than a dozen nurses have left Providence Medford in just the last couple weeks. Patients need to know that if it was just about the money, nurses would take their skills down the road to Rogue Regional.  

Nurses have repeatedly watched Providence break its promise to “know me, care for me, ease my way.” Now they are saying “enough.” In the coming week, nurses will hold emergency meetings to discuss their course of action. Nothing is off the table.  

The entire Medford community needs to know that all of this could be over if hospital executives would come to the table with a fair and competitive offer.  

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 20,000 nurses, and health care professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all health care professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

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ONA nurses at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg are raising the alarm about unsafe staffing as they works towards a fair contract that addresses the hospitals' staffing crisis and improves community health and safety. Photo Courtesy of ONA.

EVENT UPDATE: Wednesday's Info Picket at Mercy Medical Center is Cancelled.

ONA nurses at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg are pleased to announce they reached a tentative contract agreement with hospital management after 9 p.m. Tuesday, November 19. 

As part of the agreement, nurses are cancelling the informational picket originally scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20. 

After more than 20 negotiation sessions, local nurses were able to secure a fair agreement which will help the hospital address staffing issues and raise local healthcare standards. The new three-year agreement includes a 26% wage increase in year one to pull nurses level with other local hospitals' wages. It also increases frontline healthcare workers' benefits to remain competitive with other healthcare systems. Nurses on the bargaining team believe this new agreement will enable the hospital to recruit and retain nurses in Douglas County and help ensure local patients continue to have access to high-quality, safe, and affordable healthcare. 

Local nurses expressed deep appreciation for the support they've received from their coworkers at Mercy and from community members throughout contract negotiations. Community support was critical to reaching a fair contract agreement that will make a positive difference for nurses, patients and our community. 

Nurses at Mercy will review details of the tentative agreement and hold a ratification vote soon. 

350+ nurses at CommonSpirit-owned Mercy Medical Center are fighting to fix the hospital’s staffing crisis and improve local healthcare

WHAT: 
Nurses and community supporters are holding an informational picket and public rally outside Mercy Medical Center Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

WHEN & WHERE: 
Wednesday, Nov. 20
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Public Sidewalks outside Mercy Medical Center
2700 NW Stewart Pkwy, Roseburg, OR 97471

WHO: 
Local nurses, healthcare workers and community supporters. ONA represents more than 350 frontline registered nurses at Mercy Medical Center who care for more than 112,000 people living in Douglas County and the surrounding region.

WHY: 
Local frontline nurses are fighting for a fair contract to resolve the hospital’s staffing crisis and improve their communities health and safety. Nurses have repeatedly raised the alarm about unsafe staffing concerns at Mercy. In recent years, the hospital’s inability to recruit and retain nurses has led to unsafe staffing levels that fail to meet the standards in Oregon’s Safe Nurse Staffing Law. 

Decades of research and real-life experience show a lack of nurses harms community health and safety and leads to longer wait times and hospital stays, more expensive care, more infections and injuries, more hospital readmissions and more preventable deaths. 

Mercy currently has approximately 75 unfilled nursing positions. 

Nurses at Mercy make 20% less than nurses at other comparable Oregon hospitals. They also have worse benefits and health insurance that is both expensive and inaccessible. Due to Mercy’s low wages, inaccessible health insurance, and a lack of respect from their employer, many nurses have left Mercy in the past year, compounding the community’s healthcare crisis. 

Nurses and community supporters are asking Chicago-based CommonSpirit–which made nearly $700 million in profit last year–to address its staffing crisis and focus on providing residents of Douglas County with the safe, accessible, affordable healthcare they deserve.

Community members are invited and encouraged to attend nurses’ informational picket to hear directly from local nurses, ask questions, and share concerns and stories about their own health care experiences at the hospital. 

Media members are encouraged to attend to capture the voices and stories of frontline nurses and inform the community about patient care conditions at the hospital. 

Wednesday’s event will be held rain-or-shine. Participants are asked to follow guidance from designated rally officials and safety personnel. 

NOTE: An informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. It is a demonstration of solidarity to CommonSpirit executives that local nurses are united to improve our community’s healthcare. 

ABOUT COMMONSPIRIT: Chicago-based CommonSpirit is the third-largest healthcare system in the country. It owns 137 hospitals and more than 2,200 care sites in 24 states including 2 Oregon hospitals. It collects $38 billion in annual revenue and reported a nearly $700 million profit last year thanks to $1.5 billion in investment gains and profitability in 4 out of its 5 regions including the Pacific Northwest. Mercy’s former owners, CHI, joined with Digntiy Health to form CommonSpirit in 2019.

ONA logo 2024

Despite ten months of negotiations, nurses who went on strike in June are still working with no contract  

WHAT: Before heading into another mediation session on Tuesday, Nov. 19, frontline nurses who work at Providence Medford will host a solidarity rally to remind the community that they are still working without a contract.  

Nurses are concerned about patient care at Providence Medford and are asking Providence executives to commit to competitive pay and benefits, so they recruit and retain more nurses. Some have reported that just in the last month, Providence Medford has lost about a dozen nurses to other jobs. This is unsustainable and could lead to disastrous outcomes for people in Medford.

The nurses at Providence Medford are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). ONA represents almost 5,000 frontline nurses working in nine Providence Health System facilities from Portland to Medford. Nurses are standing together to raise standards for nurses, patients and communities within Providence--Oregon’s largest health care system and one of the state’s largest corporations.  

WHEN: November 18, 2024  
Rally from 3:30-4:30 p.m.    
Speakers: 4 p.m. 
Times are approximate

WHERE: Providence Medford Medical Center, 1111 Crater Lake Ave., Medford  

WHO: ONA frontline nurses and community supporters. A short program will feature:

• State Rep. Pam Marsh, Dist. 5
• ONA President Tamie Cline, RN
• Bargaining team nurses from Providence Medford

WHY: Since bargaining began in January of 2024, nurses have made progress on lower-priority bargaining topics, but they are frustrated with the disappointing counterproposals Providence has offered for their top issues of safe staffing and competitive pay and benefits. They have made every effort to meet Providence in a place that everyone can agree on and have already made concessions.  

ONA nurses are rallying a day before another round of negotiations to show management that they are united and demanding a fair contract. The focus is on recruitment, retention and respect. The turnover at Providence Medford is high and if a competitive offer is not supplied nurses will continue to leave the facility for hospitals with better pay and benefits.  

Nurses at Providence St. Vincent, Providence Newberg, Providence Willamette Falls, and Providence Milwaukie along with hospitalists from Providence St. Vincent and nurses and providers at Providence Women’s Clinic have already authorized strikes. Nurses at Providence Hood River and Providence Portland are in the midst of strike votes and Providence Seaside RNs will open a strike vote later this month.  

Rain or shine, the community is encouraged to attend the rally to show support for the caregivers they rely on.  

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of 20,000 nurses, and health care professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all health care professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

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PNWHMA logo.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Members of the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) and Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) who work at PeaceHealth facilities will be available to answer media questions Thursday, Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon at the OFNHP offices located at 1020 Harlow Rd. Springfield, Oregon 97477.

Media who are unable to attend in person, can schedule a time to talk with a healthcare workers via phone or video conference during the allotted time by contacting Kevin Mealy at Mealy@OregonRN.org or 765-760-2203 to confirm.

PeaceHealth Patients Report Long Waits, Less Time with Healthcare Providers a Year After Eugene Hospital Closure

Patients and Providers Offer Stories and Solutions to Local Healthcare Problems 

(EUGENE, Ore.) - A recent survey of PeaceHealth patients found a staggering 97% reported having a negative experience at a local PeaceHealth facility with an overwhelming majority reporting multiple issues ranging from long waits for emergency care to unexpected bills. 

The findings come nearly a year after PeaceHealth chose to close its University District hospital—leaving nearly 200,000 Eugene residents without a hospital or emergency room in Oregon’s 3rd largest city.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) and the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) conducted the survey between Sept. 9 - 27, 2024. ONA and PNWHMA represent more than 1,500 frontline nurses, doctors, and advanced practice providers at local PeaceHealth hospitals, clinics, urgent cares and home care services. 

“Our nurses, providers and staff clearly voiced concerns to PeaceHealth about the negative impacts closing University District would have on our community and on PeaceHealth Riverbend. Unfortunately, everything we anticipated—and more—has come to pass,” said Chris Rompala, ONA board member and nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend. 

Key Survey Findings:

• Patients report languishing in PeaceHealth Riverbend’s emergency room (ER). Seventy percent of survey participants reported experiencing long waits for emergency care, with several reporting wait times of 8 hours or more. Multiple patients reported they left the ER without being treated due to lengthy wait times.

In their own words

“Waited 8 hours in ER along with a full room. People puking and sick so over. Actually helped a few people while I was waiting. I took myself from the ER went to my urgent care. They took me back by ambulance my pancreas was ready to explode. Was in hospital for the days.”

“My mother waited 8 hours in the Riverbend ED. We talked to people in the waiting room who waited NINETEEN hours!” 

“Ridiculous wait times, like they hoped we'd just leave if we had to wait long enough.”

“Sent in for a ruptured carotid artery, no checks with a b/p of 210/140. Sat with sick pts. in ER … for 10.5 hours. I now refuse to go to Riverbend and always request transport to Portland.”

“13 hour wait in ED with 90 yo mom with increasing confusion and pain. Eventually diagnosed as burst appendix gone septic. This was two weeks after a 10 hour wait at the same location.“

“Went to PeaceHealth in an ambulance around 2:30. Was never sent by 20:30. Called a friend to take me home.”

“On two separate occasions I brought a friend into the ER, once for appendicitis and once for severe back pain. The wait times on both were over 8 hours before she was seen.”

"With the closure of University District, we are seeing a surge in the number of patients we treat at Riverbend’s Emergency Department,” said Rob Sabin, ONA member and ER nurse at PeaceHealth Riverbend. “This increase, combined with short staffing and closed beds throughout the hospital, is putting additional strain on our already overwhelmed Emergency Department. As a result, our community is facing longer wait times and providers are struggling to care for patients in the limited space we have."

“When I discharge patients from the hospital, many will ask me what they should do if they get sick again at home.  As soon as I start talking about reasons to come back to the ER, their faces fall and I can see the fear in their eyes. No one wants to endure another 8 or 9-hour wait in the lobby when they’re hurting, throwing up, or can’t breathe,” said Charlotte Yeomans, MD, PNWHMA President and Hospitalist at PeaceHealth RiverBend. “The wait times are traumatic. They are fundamentally changing how our patients feel about the care they receive in the hospital, even if the vast majority of that care has been excellent. Some patients even ask for extra tests to be run before discharge, ‘just to make sure’ they won’t need to come back again and feel trapped in another ER wait.”

• Local patients report they are struggling to access care at PeaceHealth facilities. A majority of participants reported it was difficult to schedule an appointment at PeaceHealth clinics or urgent cares. Several patients said they’ve had to schedule appointments with PeaceHealth more than 6 months in advance.

In their own words

“In the last few years, everytime I have been sick or ended up in the Emergency room it has been impossible to get an appointment with my regular Dr. They were booked out for months.”

"Very ill couldn't get an app with PCP for a month … Had to wait over 7 months to get into a sleep study for OSA because of the closing of the PH sleep clinic."

“Physician asks for a follow-up visit In 3 months but first appointment is 7 months away.”

“I can't wait 3 months for a UTI (appointment).”

• Half of PeaceHealth’s patients reported they do not receive enough time with healthcare providers. Multiple respondents said PeaceHealth’s facilities appear understaffed and staff seem rushed.

In their own words

“I've had the same PCP (primary care provider) for over 10 years. My visits with her used to be 30+ minutes. Now they're about 15 min. She always seems rushed and a lot of the questions she asks at the end seem scripted.”

“My primary care doctor is rushed and overbooked … My doctor 5 years ago had more time with me. It meant better support and my questions answered … Treat the employees better!”

“Old people take time to get their point across. The University District was always great with my grandparents so patient and kind. RiverBend feels very rushed and over busy and under staffed. Even if they had the staff they don’t have the space.”

• A third of patients reported long waits at PeaceHealth’s urgent care clinics, leading some to head to the emergency room or other clinics or to skip care entirely. 

In their own words

“It took me three tries to get into urgent care in Florence. They are ‘booked’ for the day by a few minutes after opening.”

“I waited 2 hours in urgent care to be seen. There was zero privacy in the very very full urgent care waiting room. I had to tell the receptionist that I had been exposed to an STI by my cheating partner. Everyone could hear. At least 30 people. It was embarrassing as hell … The waiting area was absolutely packed like sardines. People were coughing everywhere.”

“The treatment is always great once I can get in. It's the waiting in the ER or urgent cares for hours on end that is the problem.”

• PeaceHealth patients reported receiving high or unexpected medical bills, with a quarter of respondents saying PeaceHealth charged them top dollar for their services.

In their own words

“I can barely even afford care even with 'good insurance’ and the wait times are so long that I'd rather wait and hope for issues to pass because it's unlikely that I will get anything other than a hefty bill.”

“Sat for 5 hours to get a X-ray and 4 stitches in my hand. Also I had come in months before and wound up with a huge bill, and I know it’s gonna be huge again.”

Patients are pointing the finger at PeaceHealth Riverbend since University District closure. While patients shared experiences and concerns about multiple PeaceHealth facilities, an overwhelming majority of patients (71%) reported having a negative experience at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend in Springfield. RiverBend has seen increased patients and strain since PeaceHealth executives chose to close University District hospital in Eugene last year. PeaceHealth executives also closed an urgent care clinic in Springfield last year, alongside the sleep clinic and pediatric cardiology service in Springfield, and an optometry clinic and optical shop in Eugene–leaving residents with even fewer healthcare choices.

“For years, nurses and providers at University District offered outstanding community care and provided an essential safety net for many of Lane County’s most vulnerable community members. Now staff at one hospital is responsible for patients from two communities,” said Kevyn Paul, an ONA member and former ER nurse at University District who currently works at Riverbend. “Our nurses and staff are doing their absolute best to give every patient the care they deserve, but we’re stretched to the breaking point. My heart goes out to everyone in our community who is feeling the impact of this change.”

The survey also asked patients to describe any positive experiences they had at PeaceHealth facilities. While many participants happily expressed gratitude towards the many nurses, doctors, techs and other caregivers who treated them; a number of respondents criticized PeaceHealth and its executives for what they perceived as greed and a lack of support for community health amid recent closures.  

Patients and Providers Agree on Solutions

When asked how to fix PeaceHealth’s problems, patients offered many of the same commonsense solutions frontline nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, techs and other caregivers have called for including asking PeaceHealth to hire additional frontline caregivers and reopen a hospital and emergency room in Eugene. 

Other recommendations include ensuring providers and staff have more time to spend with patients and reducing wait times to ensure patients can get the care they need when they need it. For their part, frontline nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, techs, and other caregivers continue calling on PeaceHealth to address its chronic care issues by adopting simple safety, transparency and accountability measures including:

Safe Staffing

• Improve staffing through additional hiring and incentives for frontline nurses, techs, providers and other caregivers and staff.
• Incentivize local RiverBend nurses to work in the emergency department, rather than contracting with short-term, expensive travel nurses.
• Open emergency department rooms earlier in the day and keep them staffed throughout the day to reduce patient wait times and meet changing patient needs.
• Replace the 30+ emergency departments beds lost due to the University District closure, including adding secure psychiatric beds that are essential to community health.
• Increase staffing at PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center to address increased patient volumes stemming from PeaceHealth’s closure of University District.

Public Transparency

• Publicly share data on how the closure of University District has affected our community’s healthcare, including sharing information it is required to report per its waiver agreement with the Oregon Health Authority (pg. 103) as well as current data on patient use trends at PeaceHealth Riverbend.
• Publicly share its plans and timeline for renovating PeaceHealth Riverbend’s emergency department to accommodate additional patients.

Community Accountability

• Recommit to providing healthcare to our communities’ most vulnerable residents including chronically ill, homebound, uninsured and underinsured populations.
• End recent corporate healthcare partnerships with for-profit, private-equity-backed corporations like LifePoint. Research shows for-profit, private-equity-linked healthcare ventures can lead to higher-cost, lower-quality healthcare. This demand also extends to other local healthcare companies who are eyeing for-profit partnerships.

"These results reaffirm what we've been advocating for years: short staffing poses serious risks to the future of patient care,” said Sarina Roher, President of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), representing nearly 350 technicians, therapists, and technical staff at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Riverbend. “PeaceHealth must step up to attract and retain qualified staff, while also ensuring transparency and accountability to the community we serve. Our patients and professionals deserve nothing less.”