Members of a union for clinicians employed by TeamHealth at Ascension St. John in Detroit have voted to strike for 24 hours on April 18, Fox2 reported April 8.
Members of the Greater Detroit Association of Emergency Physicians, who work at Ascension St. John's emergency department but are employed by TeamHealth, said that long wait times, reportedly up to 17 hours in the ED, have become normal. They also allege that TeamHealth, which is owned by a private equity firm and handles emergency room management services at the hospital, is reducing staffing, cutting costs and inflating rates.
TeamHealth told Fox2 that the union has made several false claims. It said, "The median door to doctor time at Ascension St. John Emergency Department in 2023 was 25 minutes. In 2024, wait times dropped to 17 minutes, far less than the 10 to 15 hours the union claims. The Ascension St. John emergency department is fully staffed today."
Negotiations between the union and TeamHealth have stalled after seven months, leading to the vote to strike. Physicians and physician assistants who are part of the union, about 30 staff members, will participate in the 24-hour strike.
A spokesperson from St. Louis-based Ascension told Becker's that the emergency department will remain open and operational.
"The safety and well-being of our patients, visitors, associates and physicians is our first priority. TeamHealth has a comprehensive contingency plan in place with the hospital that will ensure these contracted provider services, and safe patient care, will be uninterrupted."