Members of the Oregon Nurses Association who work in county health departments and jails sent a letter to leaders calling for changes at the top.
MULTNOMA COUNTY, Ore. — Front-line nurses at the Multnomah County Correctional Facility are calling for the firing of multiple members of the Health Department’s correctional management team.
Members of the Oregon Nursing Association (ONA) sent a letter to county commissioners Thursday. They allege gross mismanagement by leaders has resulted in overwork, low pay and hostile work conditions that have compromised the health of incarcerated patients. Correctional nurses told KGW they don’t think the staffing shortage will improve until the county makes a change at the top.
Jacob Metcalf is a pediatric orthodontic public health nurse.
“I like to take care of individuals. Some people are down on their luck. Some people are accused of doing very heinous things, but I don’t care at all,” Metcalf said. said. “I like to joke that it’s not my job to judge…it’s the job of the people who try, they’re called judges. My job is to judge people who are incarcerated. The aim is to meet the medical needs of
Metcalfe hopes to stay in the job long-term until he retires, but he and his fellow ONA correctional nurses have reached a breaking point.
“We have people who are incarcerated, so we have to provide medicine. We have to be there and respond to their urgent mental health needs. I We have no choice but to do the work,” he said. “We need the resources to make sure we have enough people to do the job safely.”
The director and nursing supervisor are specifically named in a multi-page letter from the union to county commissioners, the health department and the Multnomah County Sheriff. The nurses write that they can no longer trust these select members and are now calling for their removal. They cite increased fentanyl use, the lingering toll of the pandemic, and the impact of deaths in custody as unprecedented challenges for Corrections Health (CH) and its customers.
The letter reads in part: “While we have attempted to engage with management at these meetings, we have not seen any improvement in the issues identified nor can we confirm that the desired results have been achieved. Therefore, we no longer have confidence in our elected members.” We are concerned not only for our own safety, but that vulnerable communities are at risk. ”
“What else has to happen before a new leader has a chance to take office? That’s all we’re asking for,” Metcalf said.
The letter alleges that the warden took more than a month off during last year’s inmate death crisis, created a hostile work environment and ignored staff concerns about conditions inside the prison.
County Chairwoman Jessica Vega Pederson told KGW she is very concerned about the allegations. She said, in part, “I want their concerns to be heard by me, by this committee, by this organization. We are all committed to the safety and health of everyone in our detention facilities.” We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees and our workforce. Providing medical care to those in custody is a priority.”
Vega Pederson also said her team is working to schedule a meeting with union representatives. The ONA is also moving forward to present its findings and demands to the full committee next month.
He also said he was working with the Ministry of Health to strengthen staffing, security and recruitment.
“We have made progress with the hiring of 14 new employees and the rehiring of 15 full-time nurses. Store nurses and other temporary support staff are playing an important role, while we are looking to hire full-time employees,” Vega-Pederson said.