Philadelphia Nurse Warns of Health Care Crisis Amid Shutdown

Philadelphia Health Care Workers Face Crisis Amid Government Shutdown

As the government shutdown extends beyond a month, Dionne Gary, a nurse with 25 years of experience and president of NUHHCE District 1199C/AFSCME, is raising alarms about its impact on the health care system. The "Big Beautiful Bill" budget cuts are starting to strain resources and workforce in Philadelphia's health care facilities.

Gary reports noticeable effects, stating, “We’re really starting to be impacted. We’re seeing folks being laid off. Positions being eliminated. Combining positions instead of hiring new people to make up for existing staffing shortages.” Her role represents 8,500 health care workers, essential to Philadelphia's health care infrastructure, including dieticians, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses.

The shutdown, according to Gary, stemmed from political decisions prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over affordable health care. The consequences are becoming severe for the city's health care system, particularly for Medicaid-funded long-term care facilities. “Long term facilities are basically 100% funded through Medicaid,” Gary explains. Many are preemptively making layoffs and service cuts, anticipating funding shortfalls.

The $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" further jeopardize workplace safety, especially in behavioral health. Gary emphasizes the need for investment in employee safety, stating, “You have to spend money to invest in the safety of these employees. Front-line health care workers shouldn’t have to choose between workplace safety and getting paid fairly. It shouldn’t be an either or. It should be both.”

The strain is compounded by the potential halt of food assistance through SNAP for over 40 million Americans, including many health care workers in Philadelphia. Although a court order has led to partial funding for November, the White House's refusal to fully comply raises concerns. “Many health care workers in Philadelphia rely on SNAP,” Gary notes, highlighting the precarious position of these workers facing both pay cuts and potential loss of benefits.

Despite being crucial to the city’s health care system, many workers earn wages low enough to qualify for SNAP benefits. With the ongoing budget crisis and government shutdown, their situation is becoming dire. “Despite being absolutely essential to Philadelphia’s health care infrastructure, many of these [health care] workers’ pay is so low that they have to rely on SNAP to get groceries. Now, because Congress is refusing to address the health care crisis they started, many (may) now lose their SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. Haven’t our health care workers had enough?”

Gary is calling for immediate action from Congress to resolve the shutdown, reduce health care costs, and ensure the funding of public services. She urges lawmakers to act now to prevent further deterioration of the situation.