Both sides of the Providence healthcare strike have issued a joint statement in regards to mediation.
The statement reads in part.."At the request of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, the Oregon Nurses Association and Providence Oregon have agreed to have representatives from both side re-engage...in mediation beginning today."
Healthcare workers have been on the picket lines since Friday, January 10.
Labor and delivery units that are adequately staffed by nurses have lower cesarean birth rates, according to new research published in the journal Nursing Outlook.
"Our findings highlight how crucial nurse staffing is for optimal maternal outcomes," said Audrey Lyndon, the Vernice D. Ferguson Professor in Health Equity and executive vice dean at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
C-sections account for nearly a third of births in the US and are the most common surgery performed in hospitals. While C-sections can be lifesaving and some are necessary for the health of the mother and child, the surgery carries more risks and a longer recovery than vaginal births and can complicate future pregnancies.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday on how he would confront challenges — such as workforce shortages — in rural communities and frontier areas.
Kennedy responded that among the lawmakers he has spoken with, rural hospitals was one of the most unifying topics, and that President Donald Trump has asked him to address the crisis with AI and telemedicine.
“Our nation made a commitment over 100 years ago to put a hospital within 30 miles of every American. We generally succeeded in doing that. It’s absolutely critical. It’s life saving and rural hospitals are closing at an extraordinary rate right now. They not only provide important health care for the localities, but also their economic drivers for localities all over this country,” Kennedy said in his confirmation hearing for health and human services secretary.