This will be one of the shorter diaries, because I am not supposed to be posting tonight (outpatient surgery this AM so I should be resting and getting over the drugs, so I’m cautioned to stay away from social media — ha!). Anyway, this was written a few hours pre-surgery and queued for the normal 7PM time slot. I’ll leave it to you folks to discuss.
Last week I was contacted by someone who wanted to publicize a unionizing effort by the Denver Hospice. Here is their plea they asked me to share with progressives through Daily Kos —
The Denver Hospice: Broke or Broken?
The Denver Hospice, longtime area non-profit and favorite charity for wealthy Denverites, has told employees it is in financial trouble. Nurses, social workers, chaplains, and CNAs recently had their wages reduced - in some cases between $5-10 thousand annually - supposedly in an effort to reduce costs. However, public documents show executive salaries increasing by 25% over the past 4 years, despite declining revenues.
Denver Hospice Parent nonprofit Care Synergy CEO Tim Bowen rakes in half a million yearly - not including five-figure annual bonuses. While this may not be much in comparison with private sector CEO compensation, some of the people who actually care for terminally ill patients - and love doing so - can't afford health insurance or rent. Making these cuts as the cost of living in Denver increased 9 percent in 12 months is particularly galling.
Staff members have had enough and are looking to unionize as members of UFCW Local 7. The union, perhaps best known as representing King Soopers employees, has also successfully organized Denver-area Kaiser Permanente patient care staff.
Is cutting direct care staff wages while increasing administrative costs a prudent use of philanthropic and Medicare dollars? Can The Denver Hospice be saved? It can, if employees have a seat at the table. Won't you support us?
I have a couple of contact names and I’ll be following up on this to research some of the allegations.
My two parents were in Hospice last year and this one prior to their separate ends, so I’ve had recent exposure to Hospice care given by folks dedicated to end of life care in another state. I really valued their taking care of my parents when I couldn’t. I truly trusted them with my parents’ care in their time of greatest need and they came through for us.
I’m a supporter of unions and if the workers decide that this is their path, I’m happy to support them and publish this. If any readers of this have suggestions or would like to help out, I can pass along communications to my sources and help establish ties and bonds to help them out.