Unionized Workers Picket at Providence Community Health Centers Amid Physician Shortage
Providence, Rhode Island – Picket signs were held and voices were raised outside of the Providence Community Health Centers on Oct. 12, 2023, as unionized workers gathered to protest the ongoing physician shortage plaguing the American medical system.
Piedad Fred, a 71-year-old Colombian immigrant, recounted her growing fatigue and skepticism for the medical system after two of her trusted doctors retired or left their practices. “To go to a doctor that doesn’t know who you are? That doesn’t know what allergies you have, the medicines that make you feel bad? It’s difficult,” she said. “I know that I feel cheated, sad, and like I have my hands tied.”
As the pandemic continues to take a toll on healthcare workers and populations alike, the strain on the medical workforce has led to an increasing shortage of doctors and other primary care professionals. This has subsequently eroded the trust patients have in the healthcare system.
The American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, has labeled the physician shortage a “public health crisis,” impacting families with various needs across urban and rural areas alike.
In Rhode Island, the percentage of residents without a regular source of routine healthcare increased from 2021 to 2022, with Hispanic residents and those with less than a high school education being less likely to have access to healthcare, according to the Rhode Island Foundation.
The medical safety net of last resort is in question as Community Health Centers known as federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are losing a substantial part of their workforce, according to a report by the National Association of Community Health Centers. A severe shortage was found to be among nurses.
The strain on these centers has led to workers holding pickets and strikes demanding improvements in staffing, work schedules, and wages. The shortages come as more patients require care, with 1 in 5 Rhode Island residents being served by community health centers.
The loss of primary care providers has led to an increase in urgent care visits, leaving many patients without a consistent source of care, which can negatively impact overall health and lead to greater reliance on hospital emergency rooms.
As the strain on the healthcare system continues to worsen, experts warn that the influx of patients at emergency rooms will only further burden the system and the healthcare workers trying to keep up.
This article comes from NPR’s health reporting partnership with The Public’s Radio and KFF Health News.