MEDFORD, Ore. — The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is sharply criticizing Asante leadership following an internal email from CEO Tom Gessel outlining proposed job cuts affecting more than 300 employees across Southern Oregon.
In a public statement released in response, the union accused Asante executives of repeatedly making decisions that have reduced staffing levels and weakened local healthcare services, while shifting blame onto frontline caregivers and staffing regulations.
“Asante executives are once again cutting caregivers and looking for someone else to blame,” the ONA said. “Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening.”
The association pointed to a series of recent and past actions by the health system, including the 2024 termination of approximately 400 employees, the closure of Ashland Hospital’s family birth center and inpatient services, and the departure of experienced physicians and neonatal specialists.
“Now they are proposing to fire hundreds more caregivers across Southern Oregon,” the statement continued. “These are not forced decisions. Asante executives are responsible for their actions.”
The union also pushed back against claims linking staffing regulations to operational challenges, arguing that such standards are intended to ensure patient safety. It further criticized what it described as significant financial penalties tied to staffing law violations.
“It’s egregious for Asante executives to rack up nearly a million dollars in fines for failing to follow a staffing law designed to keep patients safe—and then turn around and blame the law and the frontline caregivers fighting to uphold it,” the ONA said.
The statement also took aim at suggestions that patients relying on the Oregon Health Plan contribute to system strain, calling such claims “even more outrageous.”
While acknowledging broader challenges in the healthcare industry—including rising executive compensation, increasing corporatization, and potential federal funding reductions—the ONA argued that staffing reductions would worsen existing pressures rather than resolve them.
“Cutting care and eliminating staff only makes these problems worse,” the statement said, referencing proposed federal policy changes that could affect healthcare coverage for an estimated 280,000 Oregonians.
The union urged Asante leadership to engage in negotiations with nurses and other healthcare workers, saying collaboration is necessary to develop solutions that preserve patient care and retain staff.
“If Asante executives are serious about addressing these challenges, they should stop stalling and sit down at the bargaining table with nurses and techs to work on real solutions,” the ONA said.
“It’s time for Asante executives to take responsibility for their decisions, stop cutting our community’s safety net and start working together with local caregivers to improve our community’s health and safety.”
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