Thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers have started a three-day strike after their contract expired over the weekend and the health system failed to reach a new deal with unionized employees, according to The New York Times. The strikes are happening in California and Virginia as well as three other states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser, the California-based health care provider, said hospitals and emergency departments would remain open, but making appointments and other non-urgent procedures could be impacted.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on the strike. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
Richard Ricciardi is a professor of nursing and the executive director for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at GW. He maintains a part-time clinical practice at Mercy Health Clinic serving underserved populations. Ricciardi can speak to the main issues concerning workplace conditions and creating a healthy work environment, such as: workplace stress; staffing shortages; safety concerns: work-life balance; patient load; mental health concerns; lack of resources; salary; and regulatory changes. He can also discuss the state of health care in the United States.
Patricia (Polly) Pittman is the Fitzhugh Mullan Professor of Health Workforce Equity at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. As director of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, Professor Pittman has built an extensive research enterprise focusing on policies that enable the health workforce to better address health equity, including protection of labor rights of health workers. Her areas of expertise include the health care workforce, access to health care, health professions, and health policy.
Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at GW Nursing, is a dedicated neonatal nurse practitioner, researcher, and educator who has been at the forefront of advancing nursing research, education, and practice, with a specific focus on neonatology, infant health, and developmental pediatrics. In 2020, Dr. Darcy-Mahoney served as the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence, where she played a vital role in the development of the Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. She can discuss the strikes from a nursing and larger health care workforce perspective.
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