Doctors at Allina Health Form Union
Allina Health doctors in Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to make up the largest group of unionized doctors in the private sector.
In the latest sign of growing frustration among professionals, doctors employed by a major nonprofit health system in Minnesota and Wisconsin have voted to unionize.
Physicians, approximately 400 primary and emergency care providers across more than 50 clinics run by Allina Health System, appear to make up the largest group of unionized doctors in the private sector in the United States. More than 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants at the clinics were also eligible to vote and will be members of the union, which will be represented by a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union.
The result was 325 to 200, with 24 other contested ballots, according to a tally sheet from the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the vote.
In a statement, Allina said: “While we are disappointed by the decision of some of our suppliers to be represented by a union, we remain committed to pursuing our work to create a culture where all employees feel supported and valued. "css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“In between patients, your doctor handles prescription refills, patient phone calls and messages, and lab results,” said family physician Dr. Cora Walsh involved in the unionization drive.
“In a properly staffed clinic, you have enough support to help you shoulder some of this burden of work,” added Dr. Walsh. “When the numbers go down, this work doesn't go away.”
Dr. Walsh estimates that she and her colleagues often spend an hour or two each night managing "inbox load" and worry that shortages will increase backlogs and the risk of errors.
The union vote follows recent walkouts by pharmacists in the Kansas City area and elsewhere over similar concerns.
Various professionals , notably architects and technology workers, have sought to form unions in recent years, while others, such as nurses and teachers, have led strikes and aggressive contract negotiation campaigns.
Some say employers exploited their sense of mission to pay them less than their skills warrant, or to work them around the clock. Others say new business models or budgetary pressures compromise their independence and interfere with their professional judgment.
Increasingly, doctors appear to be expressing both concerns.
“We feel like we're not able to advocate for our patients,” Dr. Matt Hoffman, another doctor involved in the organization, told Allina. Dr. Hoffman, referring to managers, added that “we are not able to tell them what we need on a daily basis. »
Consolidation of the healthcare sector over the years The last two decades seem to be the source of much of the frustration among healthcare professionals. .
Allina Health doctors in Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to make up the largest group of unionized doctors in the private sector.
In the latest sign of growing frustration among professionals, doctors employed by a major nonprofit health system in Minnesota and Wisconsin have voted to unionize.
Physicians, approximately 400 primary and emergency care providers across more than 50 clinics run by Allina Health System, appear to make up the largest group of unionized doctors in the private sector in the United States. More than 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants at the clinics were also eligible to vote and will be members of the union, which will be represented by a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union.
The result was 325 to 200, with 24 other contested ballots, according to a tally sheet from the National Labor Relations Board, which conducted the vote.
In a statement, Allina said: “While we are disappointed by the decision of some of our suppliers to be represented by a union, we remain committed to pursuing our work to create a culture where all employees feel supported and valued. "css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“In between patients, your doctor handles prescription refills, patient phone calls and messages, and lab results,” said family physician Dr. Cora Walsh involved in the unionization drive.
“In a properly staffed clinic, you have enough support to help you shoulder some of this burden of work,” added Dr. Walsh. “When the numbers go down, this work doesn't go away.”
Dr. Walsh estimates that she and her colleagues often spend an hour or two each night managing "inbox load" and worry that shortages will increase backlogs and the risk of errors.
The union vote follows recent walkouts by pharmacists in the Kansas City area and elsewhere over similar concerns.
Various professionals , notably architects and technology workers, have sought to form unions in recent years, while others, such as nurses and teachers, have led strikes and aggressive contract negotiation campaigns.
Some say employers exploited their sense of mission to pay them less than their skills warrant, or to work them around the clock. Others say new business models or budgetary pressures compromise their independence and interfere with their professional judgment.
Increasingly, doctors appear to be expressing both concerns.
“We feel like we're not able to advocate for our patients,” Dr. Matt Hoffman, another doctor involved in the organization, told Allina. Dr. Hoffman, referring to managers, added that “we are not able to tell them what we need on a daily basis. »
Consolidation of the healthcare sector over the years The last two decades seem to be the source of much of the frustration among healthcare professionals. .
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