Union representing MultiCare Indigo clinic providers cites ‘assembly-line’ conditions
A union representing urgent care providers at MultiCare’s Indigo Urgent Care clinics says its talks with the health system have made little if any progress over issues that have become even more pressing during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a news release Thursday, the executive committee of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists announced it had authorized a vote to strike against MultiCare.
UAPD members at MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care clinics “overwhelmingly passed a strike authorization vote,” according to the release.
The two sides have been in bargaining talks since 2019.
Physicians and advanced practice providers at Indigo Urgent Care centers voted in 2018 to join the UAPD.
In a statement sent Friday to The News Tribune in response to questions, Mark Mariani, chief medical officer for MultiCare’s Retail Health, said: “We’re disappointed by UAPD’s vote to authorize a strike among represented providers at Indigo Urgent Care. The union, which does not represent all providers in the Indigo clinics, took this action even as we still have several days of bargaining scheduled throughout September.”
The next round of talks are Sept. 9 and Sept. 22, according to Mariani.
In Thursday’s announcement, the UAPD contended its members from Indigo are facing extreme working conditions during the pandemic.
“Among the chief concerns being negotiated are increased safety for Indigo Urgent Care Unit medical staff and patients, and fair working conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous complaints have been filed with Washington Labor & Industries that include, but are not limited to, poor work conditions, insufficient supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for employees, and employer policies that prevent the proper sanitation of exam rooms.”
The News Tribune has sought more information from L&I regarding the complaints. Officials with L&I on Friday were on furlough.
Mariani on Friday disputed the union’s claims.
“All our urgent care clinics, and all clinics at MultiCare, have adequate PPE. Additionally, we’ve ensured, in consultation with our infection prevention and safety teams, that our cleaning and sanitation practices at our urgent cares are consistent with best practice for COVID-19. While we’ve always put patient and staff safety as our top priority, we’ve taken additional precautions, over and above what’s required, to keep our clinics clean and to provide safe care.”
Beyond those issues, long shifts and heavy workloads were noted by the union.
“MultiCare’s emphasis on ‘exceptional fast’ care is placing the public’s health at risk and increasing the burden placed on health care providers to work longer shifts and under extraordinarily stressful and unsafe conditions,” said Dr. Stuart Bussey, UAPD president and former urgent-care doctor, in Thursday’s announcement.
The UAPD cited 12-hour shifts, often without breaks, with providers sometimes seeing up to 70 patients a day, describing it as a “high-pressure, assembly-line work environment.”
Mariani again took issue with the union’s characterization.
“It’s simply untrue to state that breaks aren’t permitted. In fact, we continually communicate to staff and providers the importance of breaks and lunch periods. We require them, for the health and well-being of our staff and so they can provide great patient care,” he said.
Mariani added, “Our urgent care clinics offer a number of shift options, including 12-hour shifts. Most of our providers and staff prefer and request this shift option, as it gives them more time away from work and more time to be with family.”
It’s not the first time the issue has been addressed.
Marketing for clinics emphasizes speed and convenience to fit patients’ own schedules.
That part has been a point of concern for UAPD. After the vote approving representation for the Indigo providers, the union said at the time it was concerned about “an effective and reasonable urgent care closing policy.”
In 2017, doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners at MultiCare’s legacy urgent care centers voted to join the UAPD. Those workers later fought their own battle to leave at the end of 12-hour shifts.
Market pressures and competition
MultiCare has rapidly expanded its Indigo clinics’ footprint, with new clinics opening in recent months in Auburn, Orting, Frederickson with another planned for Gig Harbor, among others.
The storefront clinics are designed for walk-in patients seeking non-critical care for minor injuries or illness, with visits taking less than 40 minutes.
Shakeups among local providers started at the end of last year, when CityMD exited the market, with some of those sites replaced by Franciscan Urgent Care.
The new Indigo clinic planned for Gig Harbor is set to replace services offered by a former MultiCare Urgent Care site.
As the storefront models evolve, demand has markedly shifted from treating sprains and sniffles to COVID-19.
Some retailers, such as Walgreens and Rite Aid, have introduced COVID-19 testing centers.
Others have simply found that pre-pandemic services no longer make financial sense.
In July, Bartell Drugs announced that Kaiser Permanente would no longer be operating its CareClinics within its stores.
“Since 2013, CareClinics by Kaiser Permanente have been an important growth strategy for Bartell Drugs and strengthened our health care services. As our world changes, it’s now important to pivot to provide additional safe and secure areas with other relevant health care options that our customers seek.” said Kathi Lentzsch, CEO of Bartell Drugs, in the July announcement.
MultiCare said it had taken a $160 million financial hit amid COVID-19, announcing furloughs for 6,000 workers in May.
In a letter to MultiCare, UAPD’s bargaining team wrote: “We have made sacrifices in order to uplift this organization. We have taken furloughs, been severely understaffed while seeing high patient volumes, dealt with layoffs, endured a lack of PPE yet we test COVID-19 patents every day, and have bargained in good faith without a collective bargaining agreement for almost one year while still fighting for our status quo.”
Hope remains that the two sides can come together amid the current impasse.
“Our members prefer negotiations over strikes. We are committed to a solution that protects healthcare providers and their valued patients,” Bussey said in Thursday’s release.
Mariani said: “We remain committed to the negotiation process and are working hard to negotiate a fair labor contract. Our top priority is to a fair contract that supports staff and patient safety and the communities we serve.”
