Resident Physicians Marched on Hospital, Demanding Fair Treatment of Doctors, Patients
Palo Alto, CA—Joining their colleagues in a wave of nationwide physician’s strikes and demonstrations, over 350 resident and fellow physicians of Stanford Health Care, represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR-SEIU), rallied Wednesday to demand a fair contract that prioritizes patient and physician treatment. The rally is the doctor’s second action this year, organized amid their heated eight month-long contract fight.
Stanford Health Care has routinely engaged in stalling tactics at the table, deliberately ignoring the basic needs of their residents. “It is an embarrassment that the Peninsula and South Bay Area’s top healthcare provider is refusing to treat their frontline physicians with dignity,” said Dr. Meaghan Roy-O’Reilly, a fourth-year resident in neurology. “Their reputation as one of the nation’s best hospitals is built on the backs of residents and our work. Reputation does not pay our rent, put food on our tables, or provide care for our children – we marched on the hospital because we need real support.”
Ballooning costs of housing, food, and childcare only stack on top of their existing debt, which averages $250,000 for medical school graduates. The Bay Area’s notorious cost of living crisis is devastating to residents, who say that inadequate compensation and support from the health system has left many of their peers struggling to make ends meet.
The 1,400 residents and fellows at SHC are responsible for providing a majority of physician-patient care at the area’s only Level 1 Trauma Center. “This is not a sustainable way for us to live. When we cannot afford to make ends meet, it’s residents and patients that bear the impact, not the hospital’s profit margin,” said Dr. David Dupee, a third-year resident in psychiatry. “Stanford must come to the table willing to act on our concerns so we can continue providing the quality patient care they pride themselves on.”
Residents were joined in solidarity by Sally J. Lieber, the Vice Chair of the California Board of Equalization; members of the Stanford Graduate Workers Union; and representatives from the offices of State Senator Josh Becker and Supervisor Cindy Chavez.
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 30,000 resident physicians and fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
