Strike begins 6:00am Thursday, May 14 unless Cascade agrees Citing concerns over safety for both patients and staff, nurses and healthcare workers at Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital have notified the hospital that they will stand up for patients in an unfair labor practice strike May 14 unless management agrees to make immediate improvements.

Nurses and healthcare workers cite chronic staffing shortages and high turnover as indications that patients aren’t getting the care they need, leaving both patients and staff open to ongoing assaults and injuries.

Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, a for-profit mental health provider, purchased the hospital (formerly part of Highline Medical Center) in 2013, when caregivers report commitment to patient care began declining. This underlines concerns that for-profit providers like Acadia are capitalizing on our state’s mental health crisis, putting both patients and staff at risk.

“Cascade’s out-of-state profit driven administration is driving our hospital to crisis. It’s disappointing and alarming that a company that has the resources to make improvements ignores the solutions we know will make sure our patients receive safe care,” said Carol Myers, an RN at Cascade Behavioral Health.