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Hollywood Presbyterian workers picket over staffing shortages – Orange County Register

Gaby Hernandez often feels overwhelmed by the workload.

as a lab assistant CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, she has seen her department go from three people to one. She is one of them.

“I have to take blood, process it, and bring it to the main lab,” said the 50-year-old Rosemead resident. Sometimes we have 10 patients waiting.”

In that case, patients who need blood drawn before undergoing chemotherapy often have to wait 45 minutes to an hour.

“These people are insecure enough by themselves,” Hernandez said. “It just adds to their anxiety.”

She and fellow health care workers at the medical center argued that chronic staffing shortages were undermining patient care and impacting the hospital’s ability to attract and retain experienced staff, March 16. We plan to set up a picket on Thursday.

The meeting will be held in front of Hollywood Chalet, a nursing home owned by the Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, across from the hospital. Employees have similar concerns and plan to attend meetings.

Employees of the Hollywood Presbyterian Church — including 747 licensed professional nurses, medical assistants, respiratory therapists, emergency room workers, laboratory assistants and housekeepers — SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.

They say management is ignoring their concerns and asking employers to address staffing issues through labor negotiations. Their contract expired on December 12, 2022.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Hollywood Presbyterian said its priority is “to provide patients with safe, high-quality care and to respect the voices and well-being of caregivers.”

“We appreciate the dedication and hard work of all CHA HPMC employees, including SEIU-UHW members, and look forward to future discussions and fair negotiations with the union,” said management.

Elizabeth George, a certified nursing assistant at the medical center, also says she’s overwhelmed.

“I have 12 patients at a time,” said George. We are stretched thin, rushed and unable to take adequate care. ”

Medical center workers are calling for more staff and higher wages for all employees, including a minimum wage of $25 an hour. They also want annual salary increases related to the cost of living and continued maintenance of health benefit packages that prioritize retaining healthcare workers and attracting new people.

SEIU-UHW spokeswoman Lenny Saldana said, “Low pay, understaffing and working conditions have resulted in high turnover rates at Hollywood Presbyterians.”

Senior Researcher Alec Levenson said, USC Marshall Center for Effective Organizationsaid the country is grappling with an industry-wide nurse shortage.

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t enough people aspiring to nursing,” he said. “But for the money the healthcare system pays, there aren’t enough people doing it for it.”

widespread concern

Workers representing SEIU-UHW at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks last month picked up the facilityIt also claims that it is chronically understaffed and unable to adequately meet patient needs.

Registered nurse at 6 hospitals in Southern California picketed their facilities It took place in January as part of a nationwide call for more staff amid a spike in RSV, flu and COVID-19 cases during the winter months.

Represented by the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United, these workers include Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Emanate Health Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, Providence Little Company at Mary Medical Center in Torrance, and community hospitals. held a protest. Especially in San Bernardino.

The chronic labor shortage problem was amplified last month when it was held at Southern California’s Kindred Hospital Recruitment event To fill hospital vacancies in Los Angeles, Baldwin Park, Blair, La Mirada, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Santa Ana, West Covina, Gardena and Westminster.

The event was part of the healthcare company’s nationwide recruitment drive at more than 60 hospitals in 17 states and online.

CHA Health System is a South Korean biotechnology company that acquired Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in 2004 to create the only Korean-owned and operated general hospital in the United States.

https://www.ocregister.com/2023/03/15/hollywood-presbyterian-workers-to-picket-citing-staffing-shortages/ Hollywood Presbyterian workers picket over staffing shortages – Orange County Register

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