The latest on the Kaiser Permanente heath care strike

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [What's at stake with the Kaiser Permanente heath care strike]( By Haley Weiss Health Reporter The second day of the largest health care strike in U.S. history is winding down, but executives across the Kaiser Permanente health system seem no closer to providing employees with a contract that meets their demands. That 75,000 workers under eight unions walked out at Kaiser impacts not just the largest non-profit health system in the industry, but the industry as a whole. While strikes are always last resorts, health care strikes “affects access to quality of care, which is a life-and-death issue for the population,” says Patricia Pittman, director of the Health Workforce Research Center at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. “Trust is important between patients and families and clinicians, and between clinicians and administrators. A strike is a manifestation of the loss of that trust and the sense that there is very little shared interest.” Workers are striking, in large part, because of understaffing, which they argue is causing a dangerous decline in the quality of patient care. In looking to save money, they say, Kaiser has harmed patients as well as employees. Their concerns reflect those of health care employees nationwide in recent years, says Pittman, meaning that the resolution of the Kaiser strike (or lack thereof) might inform how other organizations move forward. [READ MORE]( Share This Story What Else to Read [Weight-Loss Drugs Come With Serious Side Effects, According to a New Study]( By Alice Park Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy come with the risk of serious gastrointestinal issues, including inflammation in the pancreas. [Read More »]( [Your Houseplants Have Some Powerful Health Benefits]( By Angela Haupt The perks can include sharpened attention, more productivity, reduced stress and anxiety, and a happier outlook. [Read More »]( [Why You Shouldn’t Love Your Kids More Than Your Partner]( By Belinda Luscombe Research strongly suggests that children whose parents love each other are much happier. (Originally published in 2019.) [Read More »]( [How to Get Healthier Dopamine Highs]( By Matt Fuchs Humans aren’t big fans of the status quo. We yearn for new experiences and rewards, whether by seeking a new meal, job, or creative project. [Read More »]( [How Hypnosis Works, According to Science]( By Eleanor Cummins The practice helps people enter into a unique state of consciousness. [Read More »]( ONE LAST READ [The U.S. health care industry is one of the world’s worst polluters]( In a new piece for Undark, two public-health experts share their perspective on the carbon inefficiency of the U.S. health care system, which they say produces enough harmful health effects that it ought to be addressed by major hospitals. The term for this, they write, is iatrogenesis—a system by which “the supposed means of treating disease under capitalist health care regimes becomes not a cure but rather a cause of the debility it claims to alleviate. [Read More »]( If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Haley Weiss and edited by Angela Haupt. Programming note: Health Matters will be off until Oct. 10. Enjoy your weekend! [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.