Staffing Saves Lives: UC Physicians Stand with UPTE
UC physicians attest that UPTE clinicians—lab scientists, case managers, pharmacists, and more—are vital to patient care. Chronic understaffing and high turnover undermine quality and prolong wait times, risking patient safety. Doctors urge UC Health to push negotiators for terms to secure and keep essential staff.
Dear
UCLA Health President & CEO Johnese Spisso, MPA;
UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent, MPH, MBA;
UCSF Health President & CEO Suresh Gunasekaran, MBA;
UC Davis Health Interim Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer Michael Condrin;
UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris,
We, the undersigned physicians of the University of California system, are writing in support of our colleagues who comprise University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119 (UPTE CWA 9119). Without the lab tests that clinical lab scientists perform, the complex discharges case managers coordinate, the medication plans that pharmacists oversee, and the many other critical services UPTE-represented staff provide, I would not be able to properly diagnose or treat my patients. They are essential to every step of patient care. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to recruit and retain these clinicians.
Over half of UC healthcare professionals have been with the system for less than five years. This constant churn makes it difficult to maintain high standards of care. It’s no surprise that average emergency room wait times for Medicare patients at UC hospitals are 35% to 78% higher than the national average.¹ UCSF, in particular, has an average length of patient stay (ALOS) that has increased up to 40% between 2018 and 2023.² As physicians, we witness firsthand how this retention and recruitment crisis impacts healthcare workers and patient outcomes. Evidence shows that when there are not enough trained staff to support their care, our patients suffer.³ In the worst cases, lives are lost.⁴
In this time of uncertainty, your leadership is needed more than ever. I urge UC Health leadership to contact UC’s bargaining team and demand that they negotiate in good faith with our colleagues in UPTE. Delivering safe, timely, and effective care depends on it.
Notes
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Find Healthcare Providers: Compare Care Near You: Hospital results for ‘UCSF,’ San Francisco, CA,” Medicare.gov, accessed June 11, 2025, https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/results?searchType=Hospital&page=1&query=ucsf&city=San%20Francisco&state=CA&zipcode=&radius=25&sort=closest&tealiumEventAction=Landing%20%20%20Page%20-%20Search&tealiumSearchLocation=search%20bar.
Peter Bragge et al., “Relationship between Staff Experience and Patient Outcomes in Hospital Settings: An Overview of Reviews,” BMJ Open 15, no. 1 (January 7, 2025): e091942, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091942.
California Department of Health Care Access and Information, “Financial & Utilization Reports,” System for Integrated Electronic Reporting and Auditing (SIERA), accessed June 12, 2025, https://reports.siera.hcai.ca.gov.
Lynne Terry, “Lack of Staff in Hospitals Leads to Patient Deaths, Health Officials Say,” Oregon Capital Chronicle, September 23, 2022, accessed June 11, 2025, https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2022/09/23/lack-of-staff-in-hospitals-leads-to-patient-deaths-health-officials-say/.