We need a seat at the table!
To quote Dr Brené Brown, Integrity is “Choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.” We have many choices to make in life but some of the most important are what we are willing to stand for or against. We find ourselves in a time to make a stand for our patients and our community to create a sustainable healthcare community we can be proud to be a part of. As I experienced with my involvement with the physician’s union at PeaceHealth, we can greatly improve healthcare in our community if we have a seat at the table. That is why I am voting YES!
Josh Plank
MD, Hospital Medicine
Our patients need their providers!
During the 2017 austerity measures, the administration told us we were ‘replaceable.’ They told me that if I didn’t like my contract, there were ‘50 other qualified applicants who would be happy to take it.’ We lost several physicians and providers as a result. But what did they expect? When we are repeatedly threatened with pay and staffing cuts, increasing insurance premiums, decreased retirement matching, and unilateral contract changes it's hard not to think about whether we are safe in our current positions. An administration that treats us like we're expendable- with a 'take or or leave it' attitude- doesn't beget a stable or committed workforce. A strong, healthy medical team can’t survive like that. An administration that cares is one that champions their experienced providers, who have shown continued commitment to their patients and community. We haven't seen that in the past and continue to be treated as though we aren't valued, with very little power to advocate for ourselves or implement meaningful changes within our system. I am committed to my community and colleagues, and I care about the longevity and stability of my medical group. This is why I am voting to unionize.
Erin Butler
PA-C, MPAS, Emergency Department
We are voting YES!
My devotion and dedication to my patients has never wavered, but my pay has. I joined St. Charles in 1998, and since then I have taken several pay cuts and seen administrators come and go. The practice of bulk hiring of administrators and then massive layoffs has been done many times before in this hospital and none of it has to do with
benefiting our patients or building a strong medical team. The only time I felt my job was secure and my pay was competitive was as a member of a nursing union. The time to unionize is now, otherwise, our silence will end up costing us. That is why I am voting YES!
Debbie Rief-Adams FNP-C
St Charles Sleep Medicine
I am voting YES!
By the time a woman newly-diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer meets me, she has already seen multiple attentive providers—and she isn’t done yet. She will most likely require the services of many providers during her cancer journey which may include a gynecologic oncologist, a general surgeon, a pathologist, a radiologist, a hospitalist, an entire palliative care team, a social worker, and often an emergency medicine provider. St. Charles currently has an accomplished, committed and compassionate team of skilled providers that make it possible to provide LOCAL care for people experiencing cancer and I would like to keep it that way. I support the union because I am concerned that if our medical professionals do not feel like they are valued, they will leave our community. I can't do this alone. We need to have a voice so we can retain an excellent team and continue to provide excellent care. That is why I am voting YES!
Kara Faith, PA-C Gynecologic Oncology