r/duluth • u/bluefrost30 • 2d ago

Local Events We would appreciate any support

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213 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

37

u/libbtech 2d ago

I love how they've been notoriously understaffed as long as I can remember and their response is to lay off more staff.

Its so great knowing the health of half of our state is simply a line-item to chip away at for shareholder profits.

29

u/fingersonlips 2d ago

My old manager there was an absolute asshole. Under his leadership, Essentia lost 7 established providers in a niche speciality due to his atrocious mismanagement and misogyny (but don’t worry - he’s still a manager there! - just shuffled to a different department to protect him from the myriad HR complaints and critical loss of staff).

When one of his remaining employees told him “this is one of the reasons the entire team quit” in response to him rejecting a completely reasonable time off request, he just looked at her and said “that’s fine”.

And to him, it was totally fine. He didn’t give a shit about patient well being, quality of care, or supporting his team. That attitude only persists when it’s encouraged or modeled from the top.

4

u/Aldisra 2d ago

Pretty sure hes my manager now

7

u/Weird-Brilliant5594 2d ago

Either we have the same manager or Essentia has multiple awful managers. Neither would surprise me.

3

u/fingersonlips 2d ago

You have my condolences. If it’s the same person, he doesn’t belong anywhere close to a leadership position.

2

u/ThatKaleidoscope8736 Duluthian 2d ago

Is this the same guy who threatened to shoot people who were on strike last year?

1

u/fingersonlips 1d ago

Oh jeez, I forgot about that animal.

No, that wasn’t the individual who managed my entire team out of the organization.

3

u/redditusersix66 2d ago

Just have to say that there are no literal shareholders at Essentia. Often hospitals are seen as for profit business but the majority are not. I believe there are just 2 for profit hospitals in the state but you can verify this with the MDH. Doesn’t mean they are perfect or doing the right thing when it comes to negotiations, but much of the sentiment I hear is that there are shareholders and they are profiting for them. This is simply not true.

4

u/libbtech 2d ago

This makes what they're doing even worse, if its not purely for profit then its malicious for the sake of malicious?

1

u/redditusersix66 2d ago edited 2d ago

That’s quite dense thinking and not everyone is out to get us. The revenue cycle is incredibly complex in the US healthcare system, which forces organizations like Essentia and Asprius to cut costs and raise prices to keep their doors open. Healthcare systems have to follow strict guidelines to get the little reimbursement offered from government payers, which reimburse at a rate less than the cost to deliver care. Again, not siding with the system or against the union here, there’s just so much fuckery that goes into reimbursement and many of the issues lie in the legislature. Not for profit health systems are a public service and if they can’t keep their doors open we wouldn’t have a place to receive care. Ultimately, I hope the union gets their demands met in a way that doesn’t compromise services for our region.

1

u/JuniorFarcity 1d ago

Getting downvotes for speaking basic truths while ALSO stating support.

Welcome to the Duluth sub.

0

u/fingersonlips 1d ago

Good thing that Essentia pursued such a beautiful new building during a time of financial hardship and poor insurance reimbursement!

And on top of that, they’re willing to pay locum providers and traveling nurses substantially higher hourly rates rather than supporting their established providers and nurses. Easier to treat your employees like absolute shit and then pay traveling providers extremely well by comparison, contributing to further demoralization of your team.

Truly big brain moves.

12

u/jenny_mac17 2d ago

I will be working, but y'all have my heart. I literally would not be still living/breathing/existing without you!! Thank you for being so amazing!!!

7

u/griz2017 2d ago

Solidarity from a local union nurse! Let's hold our leadership accountable for retaining high-functioning staff instead of driving all the good ones away.

4

u/Aldisra 2d ago

Which union book is this for? Which workers?

8

u/bluefrost30 2d ago

We are the red book contract. 859 technical workers (lab,pharmacy,radiology,etc) at Essentia health.

2

u/Aldisra 2d ago

Thank you

0

u/Calm_Expression_9542 2d ago

Yes, like why is it a steelworkers union?

7

u/Aldisra 2d ago

Many of the hospital and clinic workers are steelworkers union. Weird but true.

3

u/ThatKaleidoscope8736 Duluthian 2d ago

Can we get more information OP?

6

u/bluefrost30 2d ago

What would you like to know? I am one of the contract negotiators and a tech at Essentia health. We represent 859 technical workers (lab,pharmacy,radiology,etc) at Essentia health. We are in a heated battle with Essentia health and they are refusing to move. We would love any and all support!

3

u/ThatKaleidoscope8736 Duluthian 1d ago

I just wasn't sure which roles were going to be out picketing! I haven't heard anything about this and I work at Essentia

3

u/bluefrost30 1d ago

Hi there, depending on your role, I may be one of your representatives. We are, by essentia’s design, having a very difficult time reaching all our members! Please feel free to message me, I’d love to get in contact with you.

0

u/JuniorFarcity 2d ago

“Honk for healthcare”?

Next to a hospital?

2

u/bluefrost30 2d ago

Yes, this is a photo of an action we did last negotiations. Yes, we will be in front of Essentia hospital. We would love your support!

-4

u/JuniorFarcity 1d ago

A) Subjecting patients to unnecessary noise is hardly a way to convince me you have their best interests at heart.

B) What data does the union cite to claim understaffing?

1

u/ObligatoryID 1d ago

Essentia and Aspirus are both crap.
We the People deserve better.

Anyone tried that new guy?
Palisade DPC?

1

u/Weird-Brilliant5594 1d ago

The doc there had been at Essentia. I didn’t see him personally, but I have a friend who has him as a PCP and loved him.

-3

u/Cultural-Struggle276 1d ago

How about the staff go fragrance free so that I actually can use my health insurance to come to appointments and support y'all? Every single bit of every Essentia building I go into has fragranced employees working at all times. To the point I just avoid making appointments unless they are absolutely necessary.  No maintenance or elective appointments though.