Healthcare workers at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center delivered a petition Wednesday in response to concerns regarding understaffing at OSU hospitals.
The petition called on Ohio State University and medical executives to prioritize patient safety and employee retention by investing in staffing, according to a statement from the IAM Healthcare Union.
Kelly Williams, a senior patient care associate at the Wexner Medical Center said the workers’ concerns stem from not having a safe amount of staffing while at work.
“Every day, patient care associates and psychiatric care technicians walk into OSU hospitals knowing that we will be under water within minutes,” Williams said. “In my unit, we care for vulnerable patients with brain and spinal cord injuries. When we are understaffed, which is most of the time, we are expected to rush through essential care [and] are asked to make impossible choices.”
Williams said her department, the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Unit, has multiple daily tasks PCAs must take care of including drawing blood, helping patients ambulate and operating complex lifting equipment. When there aren’t enough staff to complete these tasks, Williams said this can have dire consequences.
“If one of these tasks doesn't happen or happens late for acute ill patients, the consequences can be detrimental to their health,” Williams said. “In some cases, delay of care can potentially even contribute to increased morbidity and mortality.”
Williams said it’s become commonplace to hear stories of understaffing at all OSU hospitals.
“We routinely hear horror stories from every one of these hospitals where patient care units that should be staffed at one PCA for four, five or six patients, but instead they are expected to care for 10, 11 and 12 or more patients at once,” Williams said.
Marti Leitch, director of media relations at the Wexner Medical Center said in a statement there have been active steps taken to support OSU's healthcare workers.
"We maintain market-competitive wages, and excellent benefits that prioritize both employee well-being and patient safety," Leitch said. "In FY25, we successfully hired over 300 PCAs and PCTs with an additional 50 set to join our team soon."
Additionally, Leitch said there are negotiations actively taking place with the union.
"We are actively engaged in negotiations with the IAM Healthcare Union and look forward to productive discussions that align with our shared goals and best serve our patients," Leitch said.