Jan. 10, 2024
(Portland, Ore.) - More than 70 doctors, nurse practitioners and physician associates who work as healthcare providers in Providence Immediate Care Clinics in the Portland area will begin voting on whether to form a union at the end of this month. The union will include urgent care providers at Providence clinics in Portland, Canby, Sherwood, Happy Valley, Tigard and Hillsboro.
Prior to scheduling the election, these providers sent a letter to Providence CEO Ben LeBlanc expressing their intent to form a union. Part of the letter reads:
“Despite our significant contributions, we have no formal influence over institutional decisions that affect the care of our patients and our well-being. Providers have voiced concerns for patient safety, inequitable policies, and caregiver burnout but are hindered from enacting change by a lack of representation and agency.”
The letter goes on to say:
“As Providence providers, we aim to deliver exceptional and expedient care. Our input should be integral to ensuring institutional decisions maintain the integrity of our practice.”
“We find it essential to unionize to create a platform where our voices are heard, our perspectives carry authority, and our concerns are represented.”
More than two-thirds of the Providence immediate care providers have signed on to the letter, expressing their intent to form a union across Portland area urgent care clinics and to join the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association.
“I’m a PA practicing urgent care medicine at Providence for the last 10 years. I’ve experienced growing institutional demands that place profit over patients. My colleagues and I have no agency to address our concerns. We took an oath to care for our patients, and we believe providers can do that more effectively by standing together.” - Melody Flannery, PA-C
“Respect is a big part of why this is happening. It is our training, expertise and professional experience that our patients seek and value, not administrative algorithms and constraints that discourage spending adequate time with each of our unique patients. All of healthcare is changing: putting more pressure on providers to see patients quickly, and pushing us to do more with fewer staff and in less time. This is ultimately harmful to those we serve. By exercising our collective bargaining rights, we can return decisions about our clinics to the local doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician associates who actually see patients every day.” - Sekou Ford, MD
Ballots will be counted at 3:30 p.m. on February 21 by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).