UPTE members rally with families and elected leaders to keep lifesaving care in Oakland
"What I have a problem with is saying the kids from the East Bay have to go to San Francisco to get care, so that UC can build a fancy hospital for its richest patients in San Francisco" - UPTE President Dan Russell
On July 9, UPTE organized a rally in conjunction with ParentVoices Oakland to keep major healthcare services at Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) where children and their families will able to access them without facing additional hurdles.
Over the past year, UCSF has moved bone marrow treatments and interventional radiology from CHO across the bay to San Francisco—creating dangerous barriers for immunocompromised children. The shift has created new barriers and risks for families whose children are battling cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses—forcing them to travel across the Bay for care that was previously available in Oakland.
“Dozens of families who used to get care here in Oakland are being told to go back and forth across the Bay when their child's immune system is at its most fragile. These kids and families don’t need additional obstacles to being healthy and safe. We're calling on UCSF to keep specialized pediatric care in Oakland, where our community can access it,” said Paola Portillo, UPTE member and clinical social worker at CHO.
"I have known no other hospital to take better care of children and families than Children's Hospital Oakland... This has a huge negative impact on Black and brown families in our community,” said Ruby Butler, Oakland parent and member of Parent Voices Oakland.
The event was attended by City Council Member Zac Unger and Agnes Cho, Senior Policy Advisor to Office of Alameda County D5 Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, attracting coverage from SF Gate, Bay City News, Univision, KRON 4, KCBS, and KQED.
CHO has served generations of East Bay children and families. UC leadership needs to honor this history by meeting with frontline staff as required, keeping pediatric services in Oakland, and ensuring that children can receive lifesaving care in their own community.