Today, essential caregivers from across Rhode Island who are members of SEIU 1199 NE gathered at the State House to shine a light on the crisis of care that is cutting across all healthcare sectors and called on the General Assembly to invest available state and federal covid-relief funding now, as intended. Rhode Island has received $1.1 billion COVID-relief funds which was appropriated one year ago and the Office of Management and Budget predicts a nearly $1 billion budget surplus.
Across all sectors – from hospitals, nursing homes, community healthcare centers to home child centers and home care providers – caregivers are struggling. Short staffing, increased demand for services, chronic underfunding and the crushing demands brought on by COVID-10 has created a crisis of care. Caregivers – who are overwhelmingly women and disproportionately people of color – are burned out and leaving the field, leaving empty, unfilled positions.
“Working through the pandemic as a nurse has been one of the most challenging things I have done in my nursing career. We are short-staffed, mentally and physically exhausted and don’t feel appreciated or valued for all our efforts for the last two years. Now COVID is again on the rise but we still don’t have the staffing and resources we need. It is critical that the General Assembly invest the funding allocated for COVID-relief into stabilizing our system,” said Anna Blais, Registered Nurse who has worked at Women and Infants Hospital for 39 years.
Rally participants called on the General Assembly to do the following:
1. Stabilize Care New England: SEIU 1199 NE represents 2,500 workers at Women and Infants Hospital, Butler Hospital and the VNA. After years of failed mergers and pandemic strain, CNE faces severe financial constraints. The General Assembly must prioritize immediate investment to stabilize our state’s second largest hospital system.
2. Expand access to mental health and substance abuse services: The pandemic has caused a huge surge in demand with 67% of mental health care providers who cannot accept new patients cite lack of resources as the cause. To meet the increased demand for desperately needed care, relieve overburdened caregivers and attract new staff, the General Assembly must invest ARPA funding immediately.
3. Comprehensive workforce stabilization strategy across all caregiving sectors: Create, in collaboration with the state, employers, and unions, a comprehensive workforce recruitment and training infrastructure to provide Rhode Islanders access to quality healthcare jobs while providing career development opportunities for both entry level workers and throughout their careers.
4. Direct payments to healthcare workers to facilitate retention and workforce stabilization. $2,000 per current employee each fiscal quarter for a total of four payments; $1,000 one-time grant applicable to work-related expenses including loans, childcare, or to offset the cost of unpaid leave due to COVID-19 and a $3 across-the-board increase in hourly rates of pay.
SEIU 1199 New England represents approximately 4,000 members across Rhode Island.
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