Kaiser cuts nursing staff in San Rafael and Petaluma

Kaiser Permanente Announces Layoffs at Outpatient Clinics

Kaiser Permanente recently informed 42 outpatient clinic nurses in San Rafael and Petaluma that their positions will be eliminated. These nurses work across a range of specialties, including dermatology, gastroenterology, general surgery, ophthalmology, head and neck, psychiatry, obstetrics, gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and urology. The decision has sparked concern among employees and raised questions about the impact on patient care.

In a statement, Kaiser explained that the move is part of a broader effort to rebalance resources due to changes in patient care volumes. "At our San Rafael Medical Center, which employs nearly 2,500 staff and physicians, the volume of care in our outpatient settings increased significantly during the pandemic and has now shifted to other settings or locations," the company said. "To match staffing and care needs, we are rebalancing resources."

Kaiser also mentioned that it plans to redeploy affected nurses to one of 400 available nursing positions currently open within the organization. If an employee cannot be reassigned, the company offers career support and outplacement services. However, many nurses disagree with the necessity of these layoffs.

Colleen Gibbons, a registered nurse at Kaiser’s San Rafael Medical Center, expressed her concerns. "There is no need for any layoffs," she said. "Patients are already waiting for care." She highlighted that some patients face wait times of over a month to see a physician and up to eight months for routine procedures like colonoscopies. "Eliminating these positions will just increase the wait times for patients, which in turn will increase the amount of patients going to the emergency room that's already bursting at the seams with patients," she added.

Pamela Cronin, a pediatric nurse who works in both San Rafael and Petaluma, called the news unexpected. "Nothing like this has happened in the last 30 years," she said. She emphasized the current shortage of staff, noting that when someone is on vacation or calls in sick, there is often no one to cover the shift.

Cronin pointed out that the elimination of 42 nurses would represent a 28% reduction in the 150 outpatient clinic nurses working in the area. One of the affected nurses, Jenn Cass, a triage/advice nurse at Kaiser’s ophthalmology clinic, shared her own experience with long wait times. Cass, who is 64, faced a two-month wait for a colonoscopy despite being a cancer survivor. She was able to secure an earlier appointment in San Francisco but noted the difficulty for older residents in Marin County who may not have the means to travel for medical care.

Cass also highlighted the critical nature of her role, explaining that she has diagnosed strokes and heart attacks over the phone. "We've diagnosed strokes over the phone when someone has a branch occlusion stroke in their eye," she said. "We've diagnosed heart attacks and had to call 911."

The loss of her job is a significant economic hardship for Cass, who is too young for Medicare and will lose her medical benefits in 30 days. "What if there's cancer?" she asked. She also worries about her ability to make house payments without a paycheck, as she purchased a home in San Rafael near the Kaiser clinic in 2020.

While Kaiser has reported strong financial performance, including a net income of $12.9 billion in 2024 and $2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, nurses question the need for cost-cutting measures. They argue that the company is using California funds to expand into other regions instead of focusing on local patient care.

Kaiser has also created a nonprofit affiliate, Risant Health, which has acquired several health systems. The company plans to acquire more systems in the coming years, aiming for annual revenue of $30 billion to $35 billion. Nurses like Gibbons feel that this expansion comes at the expense of local patients who rely on Kaiser’s services.

A recent report by Fitch Ratings noted that Kaiser benefited from sustained membership levels and improved cost management. However, the company still faces challenges, including potential Medicaid cuts and tariffs. Despite these hurdles, the report suggests that Kaiser’s diversified operations and strong financial position should help it remain resilient compared to other healthcare providers.