HEALTH CARE BRIEFS
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
Ascension Seton Medical Center nurses go on one-day strike
NURSE DEMANDS
Gender care ban disrupts sta ng at Dell Children’s Medical Center
National Nurses United has been negotiating a contract asking for improved workplace conditions since November.
BY DARCY SPRAGUE
pay levels and improving retention that have dragged on since at least November, according to the union. On June 2, the NNU announced the strike had passed with 98% support. “Ascension management pushed nurses to this posi- tion by failing to listen to or implement our solutions to address the sta ng crisis,” said Monica Gonzalez, a registered nurse in the neurology unit at Ascension
Improved recruiting, hiring and retention of experienced nurses SOURCE: NATIONAL NURSES UNITED COMMUNITY IMPACT Increased safety for nurses and patients
Lower nurse-to- patient ratios
The National Nurses United union planned a one-day strike for June 27, after press time, for nurses employed at Ascension Seton Medical Center. The nurses strike is set to be the largest in Texas his- tory and the rst at Ascen- sion Seton Medical Center, according to the NNU. The move to strike fol- lowed contract negotiations regarding increased safety,
BY KATY MCAFEE
Sta in the adolescent clinic at Dell Children’s Medical Center have recently departed following a May 5 announcement from suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton that his team will investigate if the clinic provided gender-a rming care to minors. Gender-a rming care refers to treatment, such as hormone therapy or surgery, that treats gender dysphoria. Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 14, which bans “gender transitioning or gender reassignment procedures” for minors, on June 2. It will go into e ect Sept. 1. “We are working with our sta , families and other providers to ensure our patients’ safety and make sure we are helping families connect with the appropri- ate health care services,” Dell Children’s representa- tives said in a May state- ment. “While the physicians who previously sta ed the clinic will be departing, the clinic remains open and supported by other physi- cians within Dell Children’s Medical Group.”
Seton Medical Center in Austin, in a news release. Nurses always provide notice 10 days in advance before announcing a strike, according to the NNU. Ascension Seton Medical Center representatives said they were “disappointed” in the union for proceeding
with the strike. The hospital created a contingency plan to ensure patient care won’t be disrupted; however, details on the plan were not announced as of press time. The NNU said Ascension Seton plans to lock nurses out for an additional three days after the strike.
Researchers at UT nd decline in quality, access to women’s health care post Roe v. Wade
ACCESS TO CARE Access to reproductive and maternal health care in Texas is a ected by costs and physician shortages.
BY ELLE BENT
banned past six weeks of pregnancy in September of 2021. Lack of abortion access is only one of the reproductive health issues Texans face, said Dixon. In 2020, Texas experienced almost twice the maternal mortality rate of the U.S., with 72.7 cases per 10,000, accord- ing to the Centers for Disease Control. The state also has the highest rate of uninsured people in the U.S., according to Every Body Texas, a nonpro t that distributes federal grant Title X funds for family planning services. “Health care providers really need to be able to practice medicine without political interference, because the health and well being of their patients depend on it,” Dixon said.
University of Texas researchers found a decrease in quality of care to patients experiencing pregnancy complications since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. The study surveyed over 50 health care providers across the nation. Provid- ers expressed fear over legal backlash when caring for a patient with di cul- ties previously resolved by abortions, said Laura Dixon, Texas Policy Evalua- tion Project spokesperson. “[Providers] are nding that some- times they cannot care for their patients the ways that they know best,” Dixon said. In Texas, eight months prior to the overturning of Roe, abortions were
Over 73%
of people served by Title X, federal grant funds for family planning services, are below the federal poverty line, and over 60% served do not have health insurance.
18% of Texans are uninsured.
Over 370,000 women live in Texas counties without an obstetrician and gynecologist.
SOURCE: EVERY BODY TEXAS, TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMUNITY IMPACT
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION • JUNE 2023
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