PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and PeaceHealth Sacred Heart have announced layoffs impacting approximately 1% of its workforce — a decision that healthcare workers warn could have devastating consequences for the future of patient care and the health of the entire region.
Among those laid off are critical members of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), AFT Local 5017, including the dismissal of all mobility aids, who help patients regain bodily autonomy and mobility to live independently, and social workers, whose services are essential for ensuring patients receive the support and resources they need after leaving the hospital.
“I am incredibly concerned with the future of patient care at PeaceHealth if they follow through with these catastrophic layoffs,” says Mobility Aide Rhonda Ferrier, one of the workers who was suddenly laid off by PeaceHealth during their restructure.
PeaceHealth leadership cited potential Medicaid cuts as the reason for these layoffs — cuts that have not yet taken place. Meanwhile, PeaceHealth Southwest hired a new Chief Operating Officer, Michael Skehan, known for 'lean staffing' practices, a model often criticized for prioritizing profits over safe, quality patient care. While claiming budgetary constraints are driving the cuts, they continue to hire additional executives and pay their CEO a salary fifty times higher than the average PeaceHealth worker.
In an internal survey conducted by OFNHP, over 90% of surveyed members said they believe these layoffs could spell disaster for the future of patient outcomes, over 90% also believe these cuts will negatively impact the community’s public health, nearly 85% believe that PeaceHealth “does not put patients over profits,” and well over half are concerned the layoffs will continue and that they, too, will be terminated.
On Monday, June 9th, workers gathered in the hallway at PeaceHealth Southwest, some holding signs expressing their concerns about how these changes could affect the future of patient care. They called on management to come out and delivered sheets of paper, each bearing the name of a laid-off worker along with a note about their role and significance. Every one of these workers matters and is essential to patient care. The bargaining team then resumed negotiations over the impacts, but management refused to make concessions on any major issues.