NUHW Pickets Highlight Unsafe Staffing at Kindred Hospitals Amid Talks

Protests Highlight Staffing Issues at Kindred Hospitals Amid Contract Talks

Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) recently held pickets at two Kindred hospitals, focusing on staffing shortages and patient care concerns during ongoing contract discussions. The protests took place at Kindred Hospital Bay Area San Leandro and Kindred Hospital San Diego.

Both facilities, which specialize in long-term acute care, have become vital parts of the local healthcare infrastructure, providing extended treatment for patients post-discharge from acute care hospitals. However, since Kindred's acquisition by a division of Apollo Global Management in 2021, conditions inside these hospitals have reportedly deteriorated.

At Kindred Hospital Bay Area, staff report frequent equipment failures and supply shortages. "We've had to wrap patients in sheets because the hospital is out of gowns," stated Edna Renslow, a veteran nursing assistant. She added, "It was never this bad before private equity took over. We come to work every day determined to give our patients the care they deserve, but we need safe staffing and basic supplies to do that."

The Bay Area demonstration was covered by NBC Bay Area, KCBS Radio, and Hoodline.

Kindred Hospital San Diego faces similar issues, with chronic understaffing exacerbated by low wages. Workers are pushing for better pay as part of ongoing negotiations. "We take pride in giving the best possible care to our patients, but we can't do that when we're always understaffed," said Respiratory Therapist Neil Negrampa. He added, "We'll never have safe staffing levels without fair wages."

The San Diego picket attracted coverage from Fox-5 San Diego and was attended by various officials, including Assemblymember Christopher Ward and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe.

In the Bay Area, management is resisting proposals to address equipment and supply issues, offering only small wage increases that workers argue will worsen turnover and staffing problems. Over half of the workforce left Kindred Bay Area from 2023 to 2026, with 68% of registered nurses and 52% of nursing assistants seeking better-paying opportunities elsewhere.

Federal data from 2025 highlights the impact of staffing shortages on patient care, with hospital-acquired bedsores occurring at twice the national rate and major falls at five times the average rate. Since 2023, 86 complaints have been filed with the California Department of Public Health against Kindred Bay Area, exceeding the state average.

Similar concerns are echoed in San Diego, where workers are advocating for wage increases to aid recruitment and retention. From February 2023 to July 2026, 129 complaints were filed against Kindred Hospital San Diego, nearly double the state average. Patients there were eight times more likely to experience a major fall compared to other hospitals.

"We shouldn't have to apologize to patients who have to wait too long for care because our hospital is understaffed," said Daniel Gallardo, an environmental services technician. "Kindred is owned by one of the world's wealthiest private equity firms; it has the resources to help us provide the best patient care."

Kindred operates under ScionHealth, a company owned by Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm with $4.5 billion in profits last year and ownership of 220 hospitals across 36 states.