MEDIA ADVISORY: Hillsboro Nurses To Rally For A Fair Contract Following Cuts To Senior & Emergency Care, August 27 (Photo) - 08/25/26
Local nurses are fighting for a fair contract that keeps experienced providers in Hillsboro after administrators closed hospital units dedicated to senior mental health and emergency observation.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Nurses Rally for a Fair Contract
Thursday, August 27
4 - 7 p.m.
Speeches at 6:15 p.m.
Hillsboro Medical Center (335 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123)
WHAT: Local nurses and community allies are rallying for a fair contract following devastating cuts to mental health and emergency services at Hillsboro Medical Center–an OHSU Health partner.
WHEN: Thursday, August 27 from 4 - 7 p.m. Speakers will begin at approximately 6:15 p.m.
Local nurses will be available for media interviews during the event.
WHERE: The intersection of SE Baseline St. and SE 8th Ave. Hillsboro, OR
(In front of Hillsboro Medical Center, 335 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123)
WHO: Frontline nurses and staff from Hillsboro Medical Center along with community supporters.
WHY: The local nurse bargaining team, which represents more than 400 Hillsboro nurses, have spent months bargaining in good faith with Hillsboro hospital executives to come to a fair contract agreement. Despite regular meetings with these nurse leaders, Hillsboro executives didn’t mention their plans to close Hillsboro’s geriatric-psychiatric and emergency observation units–which could cause a statewide shortage of mental healthcare for seniors and increase local emergency room wait times.
Hillsboro’s public closure announcement gave nurses only weeks to try to save these essential health services.
Despite rallying more than 1600 community members and local elected leaders to stop the closures, Hillsboro hospital executives chose to close both units in August, cutting access to local healthcare.
After this breach of trust, local nurses are even more concerned about reaching a fair contract agreement to ensure healthcare services and providers stay in Hillsboro.
In addition to department closures, the hospital has lost more than 20 experienced nurses from its women’s and children department since November–risking delayed care for pregnant moms and babies.
Thursday’s rally is part of nurses’ campaign to reach a fair contract agreement that prevents the future loss of healthcare services and providers and ensures Hillsboro hospital executives live up to the standards their community expects and deserves from their local hospital and its leaders.
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