On February 22, 2023, health care professionals at Providence Home Health and Hospice declared their intent to unionize with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). Health care providers at Providence Women's Clinic also announce their intent to join ONA on Feb. 21, 2023. Courtesy of ONA.

Nearly 200 doctors, nurses, midwives, therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, and counselors at Providence Women’s Clinic and Providence Home Health and Hospice unite to improve health care for patients and providers.
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(PORTLAND, Ore.) – More than 60 doctors, nurses and midwives at Providence Women’s Clinic along with 130 physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech language pathologists (SLPs), social workers (MSWs) and counselors (LPCs) at Providence Home Health and Hospice declared their intent to unionize and join the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). The providers both independently filed union authorization cards with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last week.   

Unionizing providers at Providence Women’s Clinics work in six different women’s health clinics across the Portland metro area. They are well-known for providing outstanding personalized health care to thousands of women, children and families during the most important time of their lives. 

The clinicians with Providence Home Health and Hospice work throughout the Portland Metro, North Coast, Yamhill County and the Columbia River Gorge areas. They serve patients in the home setting in collaboration with registered nurses. The hospice program is one of the only ones run by social workers. 

Both groups of health professionals are committed to standing together to ensure frontline providers have a strong voice within Providence so they can continue to improve care, increase access, and lower costs for patients and their communities.  

After an NLRB hearing, both groups will vote separately to join ONA. ONA currently represents more than 4,000 nurses, doctors, and allied health workers at 10 Providence Oregon health care facilities throughout the state. 

“I love what I do. I care deeply about the community I serve and the people I work with. I want to protect women’s access to high-quality health care and I truly believe unionizing will improve health care for generations of women to come,” said Dr. Robin Richards, an OB/GYN at Providence Women’s Clinic. “Our doctors, advanced practitioners and registered nurses work on the front lines of health care and are best positioned to advocate for the resources and support our patients need. ONA will guarantee that our voices are heard. This will be a win-win-win for our patients, our providers and Providence.” 

For health care workers with Providence Home Health and Hospice, the push by the health system to see more patients has had a negative effect. “Patient care really suffers under Providence’s productivity requirement. You only have a limited window of time for each appointment and there is no ‘wiggle room’ built into the schedule to handle adverse events that a patient may experience,” said physical therapist Michelle Botsford. 

Physical therapist Jean Villagrana-Gutierrez, who has worked at Providence for three years added, “I don’t see Providence taking ownership of how their policies affect employees and patients. When I am pushed to see more people, I can’t give them the care they deserve. Through organizing, our group has come together to put patients first.”  

On Feb. 21 and 22, providers from Providence Women’s Clinics and Providence Home Health and Hospice submitted letters to Providence executives asking for voluntary union recognition. After Providence executives declined to recognize the unions, both provider groups moved to file for a union recognition election with the NLRB.

These two groups of health care professionals join a wave of health care workers unionizing across the country and throughout Oregon. Earlier this month, 15 emergency department physicians working at Providence Medford Medical Center filed union authorization cards with the NLRB. The new group, Southern Oregon Providers Association (SOPA), will focus its collective bargaining power on addressing understaffing and safe patient care and ensuring access to care for the region’s most vulnerable patients. SOPA will partner with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA), an existing hospitalists union represented by the American Federation of Teachers (Local 6552) and serviced by the Oregon Nurses Association.

Providence is one of the largest health systems in the US and enjoys tens of billions in annual revenue. It is Oregon’s largest health care provider and one of Oregon’s largest companies Despite its national reach, Providence regularly collects more than half of its health care profits from Oregonians. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 15,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state, including more than 4,000 nurses and allied health workers at 12 Providence Oregon health care facilities throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.

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