OR Healthcare Workers Seek Union Representation to Boost Provider Agency

Amid financial crises and management choices that do not include healthcare worker input, the Central Oregon Providers Network (COPN) has filed for union representation, according to a press release RevCycleIntelligence received by email.

COPN represents around 300 St. Charles Medical Group physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare workers.

The provider network said it hopes to hold an election in the upcoming weeks. Following a successful election, the workers would join the American Federation of Teachers, consisting of 1.7 million members, 200,000 of whom are healthcare workers.

The St. Charles Medical Group providers work at the four St. Charles hospitals and other facilities across six cities in Oregon: Bend, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, and Sisters.

While it is rare for physicians and other providers to seek union representation, the current state of their workplace environment has driven workers to take action. According to COPN, the hospital system is facing a financial crisis due to poor choices made before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address the budget crisis, management has made choices that do not involve any input or collaboration from providers and are impacting quality of care for patients, the press release stated.

COPN said that a union and collective bargaining would help the provider network work with hospital management to agree on decisions that protect patients and their care.

“With a union, St. Charles will no longer be able to ignore our input affecting patient care. We need to be at the table and work with the administration to ensure patients are the top priority,” Josh Plank, a hospitalist, said in the press release. “Through collaboration, we can improve patient care and ensure responsible decision-making.”

Several other St. Charles Medical Group physicians expressed their concern about the current state of the management and workplace environment.

For example, Tracy Kennelley, an urgent care physician assistant-certified, was worried about how poor management choices are impacting patient volumes, staffing shortages, and patient safety.

“There’s no leeway when a provider has to call out. With upcoming budget cuts, that frequently leaves a solo provider in our Prineville and La Pine locations,” Kennelley said. “It’s not safe for the patient or the provider. We all are concerned that revenue is trumping patient care and that providers are required to see a certain number of patients per shift.”

Neglecting to include provider input in choices that directly affect workflows can create an unstable work environment and negatively impact patient care quality.

“The Central Oregon Providers Network is standing together with one voice to advocate for better patient care for our community,” Les Dixon, a St. Charles emergency department physician, stated. “We are the professionals who work directly with patients and know what it takes to provide safe, high-quality healthcare.”

“Administration has ignored our input,” Dixon added. “With a union and collaboration, we can ensure responsible decision-making and preserve patient care through this financial crisis and beyond.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the critical role physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare workers play in the industry. But the pandemic has also driven these essential workers to leave their positions due to poor working conditions.

As of March 2022, the healthcare industry was down 294,000 jobs compared to pre-pandemic times.

Recent data found that 29 percent of nurses were considering leaving the profession in 2021, with inadequate compensation and heavy workload some of the top reasons behind their decision.

High levels of burnout from increased COVID-19 patient volumes have also led healthcare workers to reconsider their positions in the field.