If San Francisco nurses strike, hospital services to remain operational

As more than 26,000 Northern California healthcare professionals prepare to strike at 34 medical centers, including several in the Bay Area, officials at the largest health organizations affected say patient services will continue with minimal interruption. The strike is planned for 7 a.m. today through 7 a.m. Friday, with picket lines and rallies scheduled at affected facilities throughout the day. The California Nurses Association and National Union of Healthcare Workers are leading the strike against Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, organizations with which the unions have contract disputes. Kaiser Permanente hospitals rescheduled elective surgeries planned for today and Sutter Health contracted temporary nursing agencies to replace striking workers, but medical centers run by both organizations will remain open through the strike. "Our patients can be confident they will be safe and well cared for," said Deborah Goodin, vice president of human resources for Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, a Sutter facility. "We will get through the next five days just supporting the community as we're committed to doing."