Healthcare workers at Prime Centinela Hospital Medical Center organized a protest on August 8 to highlight the issue of short-staffing, which has resulted in overworked staff and compromised patient care. Represented by SEIU-UHW, the 531 nurses, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, and others at the Inglewood hospital are currently working without a contract, as it expired on June 12.
These employees have been dealing with chronic understaffing for years, and the challenges have only intensified with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They are urging management to address this issue by ensuring safe staffing levels and providing additional support to retain and attract more caregivers to the hospital.
Michelle Parker, a financial counselor in the hospital’s ER department, spoke about the dangerous levels of understaffing. In the admitting department, which typically had four to five people to check in patients, there is now only one person, resulting in long waits for patients. Even after check-in, patients still have to wait for a nurse to call them back to an exam room, leading to further delays.
Centinela Hospital issued a statement expressing its commitment to negotiating with union leadership in good faith to reach an agreement that benefits the hospital, its employees, and its patients. They emphasized their desire to work as a united team, highlighting that the hospital has been recognized as one of the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital also provides various programs to support workers, including continuing education, tuition reimbursement, career development, and an employee assistance program for promoting health and wellness.
It’s worth noting that earlier this year, Centinela Hospital faced citations from the California Department of Public Health for violations that could potentially compromise patient care. Additionally, the hospital recently announced the closure of its Maternal Child Health Services, leaving the Inglewood community without any obstetrics, labor and delivery, or neonatal intensive care units.
The issue of understaffing is not unique to Centinela Hospital. Southern California hospitals, like Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital and Kaiser Permanente, have also faced similar complaints from their nurses regarding understaffing and resulting burnout that negatively impacts patient care. Healthcare workers from West Anaheim Medical Center and various Los Angeles County nursing homes have also staged protests, demanding higher wages, increased staffing, and addressing the issue of severe understaffing and high turnover.
These protests and issues highlight the urgent need for hospitals and healthcare facilities to prioritize safe staffing levels and provide adequate support to healthcare workers, as their well-being directly impacts patient care.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
