Providers, Clinicians, and Advanced Practice Professionals (PCAPP) Caucus
Accomplishments // Our Shared Concerns // Media // Open letter
AN OPEN LETTER TO DENVER HEALTH PROVIDERS, CLINICIANS, AND ADVANCED PRACTICE PROFESSIONALS
Dear colleagues,
We write to you as fellow Denver Health direct care providers, clinicians, and advanced practice professionals. In a minute we’re going to ask you to join our newly formed Denver Health Workers United. This is why. We love our workplace, our mission, and the work we do. We want to see Denver Health at its best: dedicated to compassionate care, equity, and justice. Our society has been awakened to the health disparities caused by systemic racism and classism, as well as the negligent and unfair treatment of frontline workers. As voices across the country are calling for institutional change we are uniting in the fight to improve the systems in which we work.
Simply stated: we need you.
Please join us in our union and help us further the mission to which we have all committed. The time has come to stand up, side by side, with our fellow employees. You can learn about our union in our own words here in the We Are Denver Health video. We know that unions are for us, too. Please do not allow outdated biases or inaccurate information about our union keep you from taking part. Who will stand together to protect, defend, and strengthen the institution we cherish if not us?
In These Times, 5/13/21
Want a Healthier Workplace? Unionize.
COVID-19 Is Changing What It Means to Be a Doctor
Boston Review, 7/16/2020
The Physician’s Role in Racial Equity
Health City, 6/5/2020
New Yorker, 8/5/2019
Why Doctors Should Organize
Meeting the challenges of modern medicine will require more than seeing patients.
Check out our accomplishments and shared concerns
Our shared concerns:
- Hazard pay for frontline employees and pandemic paid sick leave for ALL employees
- Health and safety precautions
- An independent voice for all employees and respect for their concerns and issues
- Affirm workers' rights to join a union. Stop spending any DHHA money on anti-union/ union deterrence activities and
- Equity in hiring, compensation, and promotion practices
- Solving healthcare inequities and institutional racism
- Proper Compensation for all workers, not just executive staff
- Professional development/ skill acquisition opportunities
- Adequate staffing ratios, training, and PPE
- Justice on the job and workers’ rights
- Public health and healthcare funding
- Transparency and communication
Together, we have already accomplished:
- Returning executive bonuses and reevaluation of the DHHA compensation structure
- Established the support of more than sixty Congresspeople, Colorado legislators and Denver Councilmembers
- Providing antiracism training to union members and partnering with DHHA physicians
- Maintained a constant presence and accountability at monthly DHHA board meetings, including presenting a plan to dismantle racism together in July 2020
- Grassroots organizing and written and spoken testimony integral to the passage of the Whistleblower Protection and Paid Leave bills passed in the 2019/2020 Colorado legislative session
- Education through professional continuing education classes, taught by union members
- Increased attention by hospital leadership to gather and address employee concerns including annual pay raises, hazard pay, PPE transparency, town hall meetings, and more