Tell UCSF CEO, Mark Laret, to STOP the Cuts!

Help Stop UCSF's June Staffing Cuts!

UCSF just announced they are implementing another round of staffing cuts for mid-June, which will result in many nurses being assigned an additional patient each shift. Patient acuities and nursing responsibilities continue to increase at UCSF, yet patient assignments continue to increase. This is unsafe for patients. The UCSF census is higher than ever.

Please register your opposition to the UCSF staffing cuts by signing on to the letter below, which will be sent to UCSF CEO Mark Laret. This will take you less than a minute. Help us stop these unsafe staffing cuts!

Please also join us for a lunch time picket at UCSF
Wednesday, June 10, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
to protest the staffing cuts!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop UCSF's June Staffing Cuts!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

We strongly oppose the UCSF staffing cuts planned for June 14, which will result in many nurses being assigned an additional patient each shift. Patient acuities and nursing responsibilities continue to increase at UCSF, yet staffing continues to be cut. This is unsafe for patients.

We urge you to put the staffing changes on hold, and to resolve the staffing issues with CNA using the procedures negotiated with UC in the CNA contract.

Signed by:
, RN

Campaign Launched:
June 02, 2009


Background Information

Stop UCSF’s June 14 Staffing Cuts

Further staffing cuts at UCSF June 14, 2009

  • UCSF made a first round of staffing cuts last July.
  • UCSF recently announced a second round of staffing cuts to be implemented June 14. UCSF’s June 14 staffing cuts include eliminating one nurse per shift in most departments. This means many nurses will have to take an additional patient each shift.
  • CNA continues to oppose these cuts, and nurses continue to document the understaffing and resulting patient care problems.
  • Chief Nursing Officer Sheila Antrum first proposed the staffing cuts to the CNA Professional Practice
    Committee on April 16. The PPC unanimously rejected the proposed cuts because they are unsafe for patients. Ms. Antrum has since announced UCSF is going ahead with the cuts.
  • Note: these cuts are separate and unrelated to the issues resulting in two DPH $25,000 fines for patient immediate jeopardy incidents in September 2007 and April 2008.

Get the UCSF patient care report here >

  • Attached is a summary of some of the patient care problems resulting from the first round of cuts.
  • Management was made aware of these problems but did not provide additional staffing.

The patient care problems include:

  • Physician’s orders missed
  • Vital signs not taken in a timely manner
  • Pain reassessments delayed
  • Medications delayed
  • Patient falls
  • Nurse fatigue due to lack of rest/meal breaks
  • Critical patient teaching impacted
  • Critically ill patients kept in med-surg units
  • Patient not accompanied by appropriate transport staff (RN)

If the second round of cuts is implemented June 14, the effects on patient care will be even more severe. CNA demands that staffing cuts be put on hold pending arbitration:

  • CNA has asked Ms. Antrum to put the staffing cuts on hold until an outside arbitrator can make a binding staffing decision concerning staffing levels at UCSF.
  • We have patient care arbitration language in the CNA contract to address and resolve chronic staffing problems.
  • UCSF administration so far has refused to put the staffing cuts on hold.

What You Can Do To Help!

  • Continue to document the patient care problems and the understaffing at UCSF
  • Attend our Rally for Better Staffing at UCSF on June 10, 2009
    11:30am – 1:30pm, in front of UCSF on Parnassus
  • Contact Mark Laret, UCSF CEO, and ask him to put the staffing cuts on hold
    Mr. Laret’s contact info: 415-353-2733; mark.laret@ucsfmedctr.org.