BEND, Ore. - Nearly 200 advanced practice providers from across the St. Charles Health System delivered a declaration calling on St. Charles administrators to recognize their union on Friday.

"The declaration marks a major milestone in a years-long effort by Central Oregon healthcare professionals to secure a stronger voice in decisions affecting local healthcare," the Oregon Nurses Association said in Friday's announcement:

The APPs include more than 180 nurse practitioners (NPs), physician associates (PAs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), and other advanced healthcare professionals working in 30 departments and 25 specialties at every St. Charles hospital and at St. Charles clinics in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Madras and La Pine.

An overwhelming majority of APPs signed the declaration calling for union recognition. If St. Charles refuses to recognize the union, ONA APPs will petition the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to schedule a union election as soon as possible. Under NLRB rules, a simple majority of votes will win union recognition.

APPs are joining the ONA, which represents nearly 1,500 registered nurses at St. Charles hospitals in Bend, Prineville, and Redmond and at St. Charles home health and hospice along with more than 26,000 frontline healthcare professionals across Oregon.

“As Central Oregon continues to grow, our healthcare workforce has struggled to keep pace. Patients often tell me they’re ‘between providers’ because they lost their primary care provider and can’t find another one or have to wait 6 months to see a specialist,” said Eden Fair, ONA nurse practitioner in general surgery at St. Charles in Bend and Redmond. “We want to work with St. Charles to help recruit and retain the providers our community needs. Adding providers could mean easier scheduling, appointments that don’t feel rushed, and allow more people to stay with the providers they know and trust.”

Central Oregon APPs have been working towards this moment for years, but looming cuts to healthcare from the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” have increased the urgency to take this collective action. Experts estimate nearly 200,000 Oregonians could lose health coverage due to the bill’s Medicaid cuts while hundreds of thousands more could pay higher health insurance costs as tax credits from the Affordable Care Act expire and job-based insurance costs rise.

“This is crunch time. Federal healthcare costs are going to make it harder for everyone in Central Oregon to get the care they need,” said Beth Ann Orton, ONA physician associate with St. Charles Family Care. “We see the challenges Oregonians are already struggling with. We are their voice inside the healthcare system. We’re eager to partner with St. Charles to bring patients’ and providers’ perspectives into the boardroom so that when big decisions are made about our community’s care, no one is left behind.”

APPs at St. Charles are the latest in a growing wave of Oregon healthcare professionals who have chosen to join ONA. Over the last 5 years, more than 10,000 frontline health professionals have voted to become ONA union members to raise patient care standards, improve working conditions, and gain a stronger voice in healthcare decisions.

“Healthcare providers are never off the clock. At work, we care for patients from John Day to Christmas Valley. In our free time we’re caring for our friends, family and neighbors,” said Meredith Helfrich, ONA physician associate at a St. Charles urgent care clinic in La Pine. “We see the challenges our community faces and we believe our healthcare system can work better for the people who depend on it. Organizing is how providers can come together to help shape our future. We want a seat at the table to help St. Charles plan for the coming changes and ensure everyone in our community continues to get care they deserve.”

• Learn more about unions and organizing.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 26,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

St. Charles Health System spokesperson Alandra Johnson provided the following statement in response to the union's announcement:

St. Charles greatly respects the role of Advance Practice Providers throughout the organization. Our physician associates, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and other APPs are a critical and valued part of our care teams.

While we would prefer to maintain a direct relationship with our APPs, we respect their right to organize and will work collaboratively with the ONA and the National Labor Relations Board on next steps, including determining a date for an election so all voices can be heard related to union representation.