Registered nurses and resident physicians at San Francisco-based UCSF Health rallied outside a UC Regents meeting July 15, calling on hospital leadership to address what they described as a patient safety crisis driven by emergency department boarding and unsafe staffing.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, which represents more than 6,000 registered nurses at UCSF, and the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU organized the action, according to a July 13 CNA news release. Workers said admitted patients waiting for inpatient beds are routinely receiving care in hallways and waiting rooms, creating conditions they say jeopardize safe bedside care.
“Nurses and resident physicians are banding together and using our collective union power to advocate for the safety of our patients,” said Deya Williamson, RN, in the release. Dr. SatKartar Khalsa, an emergency medicine resident and CIR/SEIU regional vice president, added that residents would continue pressing for a fair contract guaranteeing adequate staffing support.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, UCSF Health said demand for emergency care across San Francisco and California continues to exceed available capacity, particularly as admitted patients wait for inpatient beds. The system cited measurable progress since launching a rapid-treatment model at its Parnassus campus in October: the rate of patients leaving without being seen dropped from over 5% to under 2%, and average time to see a provider fell from 104 minutes to under 40. Monthly transfers of admitted patients to Stanyan and Hyde hospitals have grown from a handful to roughly 200.
UCSF Health said a planned $4 billion hospital at Parnassus Heights will expand ED capacity by 71% and add more than 180 inpatient beds, with a partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health set to add more than 50 behavioral health beds at Hyde hospital.
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