Nurses urge UCSD Health to reinstate staff, halt further layoffs

Nurses Advocate for Reinstatement of Staff Amid Layoffs at UCSD Health

Registered nurses at UC San Diego Health are set to hold a press conference on Thursday, July 3. The event, announced by the California Nurses Association (CNA), aims to address the recent layoffs of over 200 employees, which nurses argue have caused significant disruption.

Concerns have been raised regarding UCSD’s priorities and its dedication to maintaining safe and high-quality healthcare. This comes in light of the institution reporting over $340 million in profits last year and spending nearly $500 million on hospital acquisitions and expansions since 2023.

Anna Sindelar, an RN at UCSD Hillcrest and chief nurse representative for CNA, stated, “While cuts to UC’s funding are real, UC has deep resources, including billions in endowments, to protect the livelihoods and vital contributions of the nurses, pharmacists, nurse assistants, laboratory techs, social workers, and other healthcare workers who deliver the high-quality care they charge our patients for.” She emphasized the impact of staffing reductions on patient safety, noting, “What the public needs to know is every nurse and staff position that is eliminated or goes unfilled results in greater risk of injury for patients.”

CNA Press Conference Details:

What: CNA press conference on impacts of layoffs on patient care

When: Thursday, July 3 at 12 p.m.

Where: UCSD Jacobs Medical Center, 9400 Campus Point Dr., San Diego (Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion)

The layoffs have particularly affected the Moores Cancer Center and oncology services, with immediate staffing shortages felt by nurses. The removal of nurse educators and navigators prior to the McGrath Outpatient Center's opening has raised alarms regarding patient safety and operational effectiveness. In some cases, supervisors have been required to fill in for nursing shifts, which disrupts continuity of care. Reports suggest further layoffs are anticipated in the senior behavioral health unit, an area where inpatient psychiatric services remain in high demand, especially for older patients.

Ally Fischer, an RN who was laid off from the Koman Family Outpatient Center, commented, “Nursing layoffs are a false economy: while they may temporarily ease budgetary pressures, they come at a steep price—one paid in patient safety, quality of care, and health outcomes.” She stressed the importance of prioritizing investments in the nursing workforce to ensure high-quality care.

Sindelar further remarked, “As nurses, our job is to advocate for our patients’ safety, which has increasingly set us at odds with an inhumane healthcare system that consistently puts profits over patients. Unfortunately, UC – despite being a public institution – is showing they are no different.”

Following UCSD Health’s announcement on June 23, twenty-two registered nurses represented by CNA were laid-off. CNA/NNU represents 4,000 nurses at UCSD and more than 25,000 nurses throughout the UC system.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.