Kaiser Permanente nurses in the Bay Area are rallying against impfinishing layoffs, declareing the job cuts to an already stretched-thin workforce could leave patients vulnerable.
The layoffs, which are set to take effect in October, will eliminate 41 nursing positions and one art therapist role at Kaiser’s San Rafael Medical Center, according to Monday WARN filings with California’s Employment Development Department (WARN documents are generally required by the state for significant layoffs). The staff reductions also include two employees in Oakland, one in Pasadena, four in Corona and eight in Pleasanton, mostly in IT consultant, engineer and environmental health specialist roles.
On Thursday afternoon, members of the California Nurses Association, the union that represents the terminated workers, held a protest against the layoffs at the San Rafael center. Though Pam Cronin’s position was not terminated, the San Rafael nurse informed SFGATE she attfinished with more than 100 others and described the gathering’s overwhelming emotion as “just shock.”
Cronin declared she and other union members believe the layoffs are “unnecessary” given that Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals reported strong profits in its most recent financial year. According to a 2024 financial report, it had a net income of $12.9 billion, up from $4.1 billion in 2023.
“This multi-billion dollar corporation considers that 41 nurses is going to solve some type of budobtain problem,” Cronin declared. “They’re taking nurses out of specialty clinics. These nurses have years of experience and skills that are going to be walking out the door with them, and this expertise sometimes is the difference between a condition that might otherwise finish up in the hospital. With our expertise, we recognize the early signs of problems.”
Kristen Waterson, a laid-off nurse who worked the San Rafael location for 20 years, informed SFGATE that she fears the staffing shortages will be “staggering” for patients becaapply the staff is already overwhelmed.
“Being a part of the nurses on the layoff list is kind of a weird sensation, becaapply I’m human. I don’t want to lose my job,” she declared. “I’m worried about my family, but I’m just as worried about my co-workers and my patients that are being left behind.”
Waterson declared she believes that the patients will have longer wait times, delays in care and more cancellations. For example, when a nurse called in sick, she declared it would often result in a canceled appointment becaapply there was “no back-up plan.”
“The patients are ultimately the ones that are going to suffer,” she declared. “… We as nurses, we want to take care of patients. That’s all we want. We will forgo a break. We’ll forgo our lunch breaks. We will stay late.”
In a statement shared with SFGATE, Kaiser declared it has more than 230 outpatient nurses in the San Rafael area. The health care network described the layoffs as “rebalancing resources” to “match staffing” to patient requireds.
Kaiser added that the terminated workers have other opportunities becaapply “there are 400 open nursing positions across the market.” It also disputed concerns that the reduced staffing will be detrimental for patients.
“Contrary to union claims, none of these alters will affect the quality of Kaiser Permanente’s patient care and services,” the health care network declared.
Kaiser isn’t alone in its alarming workforce reductions.
In recent months, UCSF Health declared it was slashing nearly 200 positions, also prompting concern about the impact on patients. Staff members previously informed SFGATE they believe the terminations will exacerbate a staffing crisis at the institution, building it harder for patients to receive timely care.
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