Nurses Rally Against Layoffs at Mercy Hospital Downtown
On July 16, dozens of registered nurses gathered outside Mercy Hospital Downtown in Bakersfield to voice their concerns over recent staffing cuts at three local hospitals. The nurses, part of the California Nurses Association (CNA), are seeking the immediate reversal of layoff notices issued by CommonSpirit Dignity Health.
The affected hospitals include Bakersfield Memorial, Mercy Hospital Downtown, and Mercy Hospital Southwest. The nurses argue that these staffing reductions jeopardize patient care and demand safer staffing levels.
Carrying signs with slogans like “Safe Staffing Saves Lives,” “Some Cuts Don’t Heal,” and “Fund Care Not Billionaires,” the demonstrators highlighted the importance of adequate healthcare staffing.
In a recent tweet, CNA emphasized their message to CommonSpirit, stating, “Bakersfield deserves better. Staffing cuts hurt patients, nurses, and our communities!”
According to local reports, Dignity Health confirmed a WARN notice that details 57 layoffs at Bakersfield Memorial, including 33 registered nurses. These layoffs will take effect on August 3 and also affect other positions such as nurse educators, safety nurses, and unit secretaries.
Nurses have raised concerns that cutting these essential roles will increase the workload for those remaining, leading to slower medication delivery and extended patient wait times. Sandy Reding, a registered nurse and president of CNA, explained, “When hospitals cut staff, patient care suffers. Our patients deserve better, and that’s why we are speaking out.”
This wave of layoffs follows the closure of the Grossman Burn Center at Bakersfield Memorial on June 30, which was the only burn center in Kern County.
It’s not just Bakersfield feeling the impact; Dignity Health also laid off 82 hospital workers in Los Angeles. The organization, which is under CommonSpirit Health, employs over 55,000 people across Arizona, California, and Nevada.
A spokesperson for Dignity Health said, “Maintaining our commitment to exceptional care is difficult due to the current financial challenges facing healthcare systems.” While the company attributes the layoffs to financial difficulties, nurses have pointed to financial documents showing that top executives at CommonSpirit received significant compensation during the same period.
As of now, it remains unclear if further layoffs are on the horizon. CommonSpirit is reportedly in the process of developing a financial turnaround plan to address its reported losses exceeding $1 billion.
