UC San Diego Health Faces Backlash After Laying Off 230 Workers

UC San Diego Health has laid off approximately 230 employees across its hospitals and clinics, a move that has sparked immediate criticism from labor representatives and raised concerns about patient safety and staffing levels.

The layoffs, announced on Monday, represent about 1.5% of the health system’s workforce and include a range of frontline healthcare providers, among them pharmacists, clinical social workers, and clinical laboratory scientists. UC San Diego Health says the decision was made in response to mounting financial pressures caused by “federal impacts to health care, regulatory uncertainty, and rising costs of providing care.”

"If UC continues to pretend that the staffing crisis isn't an issue and continue to lay people off, then that's really going to be a negative impact to the community," said Jon Sunada, a representative from the University Professional and Technical Employees union.

Some employees were asked to leave in the middle of their shifts with little notice. Randall Turner, a former IT department employee, described his experience: "They handed me the paper as they told me, 'Hey, unfortunately we're letting you off, etcetera, etcetera, here's your paperwork.' They let me gather my things, and then they escorted me out."

The layoffs come at a time when the hospital is already facing staffing shortages. Union leaders warn that these cuts could increase the risk of diagnostic errors and negatively impact patient care. Turner expressed concern about the potential consequences, saying, "They come in here thinking that hey I'm coming to as advertised the number one hospital I'm assuming I'm going to be getting some of the best care but in the background you've got a nurse who is struggling because the ratio to them is way too high."

The union is calling for the immediate reinstatement of the laid-off employees and an end to further staffing reductions. Sunada emphasized the impact on both staff and patients.

"I think we all are feeling right now for our colleagues who lost their jobs yesterday, but we're also feeling for our patients because we don't want them to suffer, we want to be able to provide excellent health care to our community," he said.

In a statement, the health system emphasized that affected employees would receive full university benefits and access to transitional career support. “We are grateful for the tremendous contributions of our affected employees,” the release read. “We continue to support an agile and resilient workforce of more than 14,000 team members who provide access to safe, reliable and high-quality patient care across the region.”

But the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union disagrees. In a counterstatement, UPTE denounced the layoffs as both unjustified and dangerous, alleging that critical staff were let go with little warning and, in some cases, were told to leave mid-shift without a proper handoff of patient care responsibilities.

“UCSD’s announced layoffs do nothing to alleviate the existing staffing crisis impacting patient care,” said Sam Warsh, a clinical dietitian and member of UPTE’s bargaining team. Warsh described the case of a social worker who was reportedly dismissed immediately, without completing patient notes or transitioning their caseload, raising serious concerns about continuity of care.

According to the union, the layoffs affect key clinical positions that are already in national shortage. They claim the health system's own staff have warned that reductions in clinical laboratory services could increase the risk of diagnostic errors. “70% of medical decisions are based on clinical laboratory results,” the union pointed out.

While UC San Diego Health cites “severe financial constraints,” UPTE questions the institution’s financial narrative. The union notes that there have been no significant federal funding cuts to UC, and the most recent state budget proposes a 5% increase in UC’s base funding. They also point to a $20 million loan UC San Diego Health recently extended to Palomar Health—fueling speculation about a potential acquisition—as evidence of misplaced priorities.

“These layoffs are not about money,” the UPTE statement argued. “They reflect a broader trend of prioritizing expansion and investment over staffing and patient safety.”

A recent UPTE report titled Misplaced Priorities highlights systemic underinvestment in frontline staff across the UC system. At UCSD’s Hillcrest hospital, the report notes, 5.6% of emergency room patients left without being seen in 2023—more than double the statewide average.

The union is now calling for the immediate reinstatement of all laid-off staff and a halt to further reductions.