Providence Medford nurses tell council hospital is ‘in crisis,’ urge support for contract negotiations

Gabriel Hislop, a registered nurse at Providence Medford Medical Center, addressed the City Council during the public‑comment period on Feb. 19 and described staffing shortages and contract negotiation delays at Providence.

Hislop said nurses have negotiated with Providence for almost a year and that staffing shortages are worsening conditions at the bedside. “Our hospital, the hospital this community relies on, is in crisis,” he said.

Nut graf: Hislop told the council that nurse departures and longer emergency room wait times are affecting Medford residents and that the dispute extends beyond the hospital to the wider health‑care ecosystem, including an existing shortage of primary care providers. He said nurses are striking because they have “no choice” and urged the council to publicly call on Providence to negotiate and to visit picket lines to see the situation firsthand.

Hislop asked the council to use its voice to encourage Providence to “negotiate in good faith and provide the resources necessary to ensure our hospital remains a safe place to receive care.” He framed the issue as a community problem and said a fully staffed hospital is essential to Medford’s families, workers and businesses.

Ending: Council acknowledged the comments and noted the public‑comment period provided material for council consideration; the council did not take a formal action on the request that night.