skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Judge orders Trump administration to fully fund food stamps this month; NM's largest city introduces year-round nonviolence campaign; IL organizers call for unity, resistance against escalating ICE efforts; With federal heating aid frozen, MN coalition calls for state action; Therapist: MT insurance costs unsustainable without ACA subsidies.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Nancy Pelosi won't seek reelection, flyers begin to feel the government shutdown, anti-ICE organizers encourage lawful resistance and postal workers aim to rally local governments in support of the USPS.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers are being squeezed by trade wars and the government shutdown, ICE tactics have alarmed a small Southwest Colorado community where agents used tear gas to subdue local protestors and aquatic critters help Texans protect their water.

Physicians’ Union Approves Strike Against MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care

play audio
Play

Monday, September 14, 2020   

TACOMA, Wash. -- Doctors at MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care clinics say their union has authorized a strike, citing unsafe working conditions, lack of Personal Protective Equipment and concerns over how patients are scheduled and seen.

There are 22 MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care locations in the Puget Sound region, plus five clinics in Spokane and the inland Northwest. MultiCare physician Brian Fox said the company's 12-hour work shift policy and mandate that all patients who enter a clinic's door must be seen have exhausted doctors, with an uptick in volume during the pandemic.

"If a dozen patients walk in at 7:55 p.m., according to our policy, we're obligated to stay until all of those patients are seen," Fox said. "You know, after an exceptionally long day of seeing 40 or 45 patients in a shift, we wanted to have the option for patients that weren't as ill to say, 'Can we please reschedule you for tomorrow morning?'"

In a written statement, a spokesperson for MultiCare said they remain committed to the negotiation process and are working hard to negotiate a fair labor contract, and said its urgent-care clinics offer a number of shift options.

President of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists Dr. Stuart Bussey said doctors have reached a breaking point after a year of contract bargaining. He argued MultiCare's management hasn't taken its providers' concerns seriously enough.

"Doctors need a voice, an unimpeded voice, to advocate for the patient," Bussey said. "We still have the duty to take care of the patients as much as we can, without the interference of a profit-minded entity, called 'the employer.'"

Bussey added large healthcare corporations often are determined to see as many patients as quickly as possible, to increase revenue. He contends this makes for stressful and unsafe working conditions for staff, and less quality care for patients.

"It's now behind the military, the expenditure of this government - 19% of our gross product - is for health care, over $3 trillion," he said.

According to a Medscape survey, two-thirds of U.S. physicians report worsening levels of burnout and loneliness in the pandemic. The American Medical Association has developed some new resources to help physicians handle the increased stress and anxiety.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said he does not know what was discussed during a Thursday closed-door Statehouse meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Gov. Mike Braun. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Kyla Russell for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service C…


Social Issues

play sound

Rural LGBTQ+ youth in Indiana face greater mental health challenges, but have found ways to build community online, according to a new report…

Social Issues

play sound

By Marilyn Odendahl for The Indiana Citizen.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Indiana Citizen-Free Press India…


Indiana University's summit includes a session about a new Registered Apprenticeship Program aimed at boosting the teacher workforce. (Adobe stock)

play sound

An Indiana-based summit meeting will spotlight how university campuses can help power economic growth across the state. Indiana University hosts its …

Social Issues

play sound

Groups fighting for a free and fair judicial system are speaking out against violence, threats and insults targeting judges in Indiana and across the …

Experts recommend not overscheduling kids in the first few weeks of school because they are often more tired and emotionally drained as they adjust to a new routine. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Indiana families are preparing kids for back-to-school season, and mental-health experts say emotional readiness is just as important as school …

Environment

play sound

The Trump administration's long-term plan for artificial intelligence could have far-reaching environmental impacts across the country. His strategy …

Social Issues

play sound

A public funding mechanism for Seattle elections is up for renewal in next week's election. The Democracy Voucher program was passed 10 years ago…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021