Doctors and physicians' assistants at Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit have walked out of the emergency room and onto the picket line. This 24-hour strike, which began yesterday afternoon, was launched as hospital staff took a stand against what they describe as under-resourced working conditions that they say could be to the detriment of patient care.
The Greater Detroit Association of Emergency Physicians, representing these healthcare workers, demands improvements in staffing, working conditions, and wages. They have accused TeamHealth, the staffing company involved, of prioritizing profits over patient safety—a claim that TeamHealth has denied, according to The Detroit News. The union's physician assistant Casey Kolp expressed deep concern over wait times reaching 17 hours and insufficient staffing leading to areas of the emergency department being shut down.
Meanwhile, TeamHealth maintains the emergency department is fully staffed, with median door-to-doctor times reportedly dropping from 25 to 15 minutes within a year. A TeamHealth spokesperson extended an invitation to the union to "return to the bargaining table and secure a resolution on reasonable and sustainable terms," as reported by The Detroit News.
Dr. John Bahling, an ER doctor with two decades of affiliation to Ascension St. John, has been particularly vocal about the decline in staffing and resources, indicating that the situation has worsened since TeamHealth took over in 2015. "You don't get money for that,” Bahling said, referring to services such as mental health care and other non-reimbursable areas. According to an interview with FOX 2 Detroit, Bahling highlighted the lack of adequate staffing and basic benefits for hospital workers, including paid sick leave.
As the standoff continues, the hospital assures that emergency room services will remain operational for those needing care. Both parties show intentions to find a solution, with the doctors and staffers hoping to resolve the dispute post-strike, as hoodline reports that Michigan's congressional delegation has expressed support for the union's cause. The strike at Ascension St. John puts a spotlight on the broader issue of hospital staffing and resource allocation in the face of private equity management.
