Hospitalists at Legacy Health hospitals in Oregon and Washington will vote on whether to unionize.
A majority of the physicians filed union authorization cards with the National Labor Relations Board on Sept. 29, according to a union news release shared with Becker's. The NLRB will now conduct an election Nov. 14-16. If a majority of those who vote choose unionization, the NLRB will certify the union, and collective bargaining would begin.
"The hospital works best when physicians have a strong voice. Legacy truly needs our help running the hospital and fixing its many systemic issues. Forming a union gives us the best means to do so," Rob Morgan, DO, an internal medicine physician at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center and Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, both in Portland, Ore., said in the release.
If approved, the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association would represent about 200 hospitalists at Good Samaritan, Emanuel, Randall Children's Hospital at Emanuel, Meridian Park Medical Center in Tualatin, Ore., Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, Ore., and Salmon Creek Medical Center in Vancouver, Wash. All locations are part of Portland-based Legacy Health.
Legacy Health shared the following statement with Becker's: "The decision our hospitalist physicians will make when they vote on union representation is consequential for everyone who works at our hospitals, as well as the patients and communities that we serve every day, and therefore, an important topic for internal dialogue. We encourage every eligible employee to learn the facts and participate in the voting process."
The statement also says hospitalists "are at the heart of our mission to deliver high-quality care to our patients and our communities, and we are deeply grateful for their many contributions. Our focus on that mission and the important work done by our hospitalists will remain the same, regardless of the outcome of any union representation vote."