Union members at Dignity Health's St. John's Regional Medical Center will voice their concerns about the outsourcing of Monitor Technicians to an Arizona data center where minimal oversight and slowed response times means patients are at risk.

Monitor Technicians play a vital role in hospitals by monitoring heart rates and communicating any changes immediately to their colleagues. Delays in this communication, even by seconds, can be life-threatening. Without Monitor Techs at the bedside, data relays often lead to false-positive alerts, creating dangerous alarm-fatigue for Nurses. Technicians at the Arizona facility may be watching twice the number of patients Monitor Technicians did at the hospital, Nurses say.

Latinos make up more than half of the population of the City of Oxnard, which is served by St. John's Regional Medical Center. Studies show that Latinos suffer disproportionately from cardiovascular disease.

SEIU 121RN and UHW, along with the Central Coast Labor Council and other community stakeholders, will stand together to demand that management reconsider their decision. They argue that outsourcing this critical role compromises patient safety and the quality of care provided at the hospital.

The community is encouraged to attend the meeting and support the healthcare workers in their fight to protect patient care and ensure that vital health services remain local and responsive.