Nurses and health professionals

Catharyne Henderson, a nurse in surgical oncology from Ohio, went to Washington, D.C., in the early days of the government shutdown to speak out against the policies being pushed by Republicans in Congress and the White House that prioritize politics over protecting healthcare and keeping costs from rising.

Surgical nurse Heather Brauth traveled to Washington, D.C., from Norwich, Conn., on Oct. 15, to share her perspective on the ongoing healthcare challenges facing working families.

Thousands of healthcare workers across Oregon and Southwest Washington are on the picket lines, demanding better working conditions but also fighting to uphold the foundational mission of Kaiser Permanente.

Dr. Byrce Pulliam spends his nights in a community emergency room in Southern Oregon, where the line between life and death can come down to seconds—and insurance coverage.

On Oct. 1, the White House and congressional majority shut down the federal government. They refused to support Democrats in extending Affordable Care Act subsidies to millions of Americans before they face skyrocketing health insurance costs in the coming weeks.

After months of organizing, negotiating and standing together in solidarity, the University of Maryland Resident and Fellow Alliance approved its first contract with the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The residents and fellows at UMMC voted to unionize in June 2024.

Communities in the small Oregon towns of Lebanon and Lincoln City are breathing a sigh of relief after the news that Samaritan Health Services reversed course and will keep labor and delivery, and emergency surgical services open at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital and Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.

In another victory for healthcare organizing, more than 200 resource pool nurses working at Legacy hospitals in Oregon and Washington voted overwhelmingly to join the Oregon Nurses Association.

The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed groundbreaking workplace violence legislation aimed at keeping frontline healthcare workers safe in hospitals, and home health and hospice settings across Oregon.

Nurses, doctors and other health professionals converged for this year’s AFT Nurses and Health Professionals Professional Issues Conference in Chicago from June 11-13, determined to set a course for the coming year: defending patients, protecting communities, and beating back the authoritarian tide washing over American democracy.