The strike by Kaiser Permanente mental health workers has entered its fifth week, with the union filing a complaint with the California Department of Public Health regarding alleged patient care violations caused by understaffing, KPBS reported Nov. 19.
Elizabeth Meza, a hospice clinical social worker at Kaiser San Diego for 14 years, expressed concern about the lack of psychosocial support for patients and families during the strike, especially in hospice care.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers' complaint highlights that understaffing has left hospice patients without critical emotional support and in some cases, delayed pain management.
The complaint also alleges that staffing at Kaiser Hospice San Diego has been reduced from five medical social workers to two, a violation of Medicare regulations. The union claims that although replacement workers are licensed social workers, many lack specialized hospice training.
Kaiser Permanente did not respond to KPBS's request for comment.