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Resident doctors and county behavioral-health staff press supervisors on staffing and safe-scheduling at Paradise Clinic
Summary
Multiple resident doctors and county behavioral-health workers told the Board they face staffing cuts at Paradise Clinic (Golden Valley/VCME), 24‑hour shifts and retention problems; speakers asked supervisors to press VCME and Golden Valley for fair contracts and safe scheduling.
A group of resident doctors and county behavioral-health staff urged the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21 to intervene after staffing and scheduling changes at the Paradise Clinic, which residents said Golden Valley Health Centers took over about a year and a half ago. Several speakers described the residency program shrinking from 36 to 24 positions and said the resulting schedules have produced 24-hour shifts, >80-hour workweeks, sleep deprivation, accidents and poorer continuity of patient care.
Herbert Baines, a physician working for the Valley Consortium for Medical Education (VCME) at Golden Valley, told the Board his program’s resident complement fell by roughly 33% and that physicians are being asked to maintain the same volume of work with fewer people. “We’ve been cut by 33%, but still asked to do the same job as we did before,” he said, describing overwork and safety incidents.
Elaine Wong, also a physician at the Paradise Clinic, said two years after Golden Valley assumed operations the family-medicine resident count dropped from 36 to 24; she said incoming-year recruitment struggled and the program filled many positions only at the last minute. Cameron Perez, another resident, recounted colleagues falling asleep at the wheel after long shifts and said those conditions are not acceptable for patient care.
County behavioral-health employees and union members also spoke about retention and compensation. Jody Smith, a behavioral-health specialist and SEIU member, said county workloads are stretched and asked supervisors to support fair contract terms. Carlo Vasquez, a health-education specialist, contrasted recent 11% increases the Board granted to some employee groups with disparities in other contracts and urged equitable treatment.
Speakers requested that supervisors engage with VCME and Golden Valley to seek safe-scheduling commitments and fair bargaining outcomes. Board members listened and did not take immediate policy action on the contract negotiations during the meeting; public commenters were asked to follow up with staff and each other.
The Board did not vote on a specific motion regarding Golden Valley or VCME at this meeting; public comment was the primary vehicle for airing these concerns.
