Queen of the Valley exec admits hospital is understaffed despite huge profits and federal funds
California has the lowest COVID-19 transmission rate of any state in the nation, but many hospitals in the state are facing self-inflicted staffing crises after laying off essential healthcare workers despite reporting strong profits.
At Providence’s Queen of the Valley Medical Center in the Napa Valley, the hospital’s chief medical officer told the Napa City Council in August that the facility is short-staffed in every department. What she didn’t say is that the hospital has implemented several rounds of layoffs despite huge profits and $1 billion in federal funding.
Queen caregivers are feeling the strain. From the Napa Valley Register:
Kim Butts, a nurse at the Queen, said many experienced medical workers had left the hospital since the winter COVID-19 surge in response to physical and emotional stress they’d endured.
The hospital didn’t have adequate staffing during the winter surge, Butts added, and positions had been filled with brand new [staff]. … “The result is unsafe patient care to our community, my neighbors, our family members, and increased stress on the experienced staff.”
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