Last weekend, nine Minnesota medical CEOs issued a joint statement warning that hospital operations were strained and many health care workers were “depressed.” They warned that individuals suffering from car accidents, strokes and heart attacks may experience life-threatening delays in care.
“Access to your health care is seriously threatened by COVID-19,” they said, telling the public to take COVID-19 more seriously, get vaccinated, boost and wear masks. I called. They paid tens of thousands of dollars to print full-page ads in Minnesota’s largest newspaper.
I and my members joined these CEOs as presidents of a health care union with more than 50,000 members in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and home care throughout Minnesota and are recommended to be vaccinated by the general public. We encourage you to wear a mask in all settings.
But for “bed shortage” and “depressed” staff, it’s a good idea for these billionaire CEOs to take a closer look in the mirror and realize why it’s happening.
Over the years, they have gradually reduced costs and staff and used the company’s “just-in-time” policy, which is causing supply shortages. Collectively, these CEOs are responsible for eliminating more beds and dismissing more workers than a group of comparable healthcare CEOs over the years.
Fairview’s CEO is in the process of closing Bethesda, the only COVID-only hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital. The CEO of Allina Health has closed the Phillips Eye Institute and the maternity wards of Unity Hospital and Regina Hospital. The Mayo Clinic has closed services throughout southern Minnesota, including significant cuts at the Albert Lee Medical Center. HealthPartners has closed Riverside Clinic, the state’s growing East African Community community hub, and all its retail pharmacies. Children’s hospitals have reduced the services of St. Paul’s Hospital. The list will continue to grow.
These closures and reduced services have resulted in the loss of hundreds of patient beds and a significant reduction in services for urban and rural communities. What’s more, thousands of workers have been dismissed — all to improve the profit margins of our perhaps “nonprofit” institutions. And the same nine CEOs saw a double-digit salary increase to reward their decision.
Frontline workers, on the other hand, are “depressed” primarily because these CEOs prioritize profitability and put both workers and patients in these terrible situations. We have experienced temporary severances, severance pay reductions, frozen wages and ongoing reductions in benefits programs. It’s an insult to pass a huge flag thanking these workers for being “essential” and “heroes” while the CEO knows he won’t even pay for quarantine from COVID exposure at work. It is a target.
Most of these CEOs didn’t even offer “Hero Pay.” And the CEO who provided provided a small portion of the amount appropriate for the healthcare professional.
It’s also depressing that even the state legislature doesn’t seem to agree with the bonuses that make sense to essential healthcare professionals.
Brianne Bernini, a member of the Emergency Center’s Technology and Union Board of Directors, recently stated in a MinnPost opinion piece: They will soon realize that being called a hero does not change the reality we are facing. “
Thousands of Minnesota health care workers like Brianne are overwhelmed, overworked, understaffed, and rapidly facing burnout. So, instead of paying for expensive ads about tense hospital operations, we call on these CEOs to stop giving money. Treat workers with respect and dignity and stop reducing wages and profits. Sit with these workers and our union and work on the task together.
None of us are responsible for this pandemic, but we have witnessed the consequences of improper decisions and actions made by these CEOs. Prioritizing profits is always inadequate for patients and workers.
We have enough empty words. Frontline healthcare professionals simply want to be respected, protected and paid.
Jamie Gulley is President of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.
