Essentia Health highlights flexible care model amid misleading union claims

Essentia Health is highlighting the importance of its flexible care model, a critical component in continuing to deliver exceptional health care for its patients. "Cross-facility floating" allows Essentia to deploy qualified team members where and when patients need them most.

Essentia Health ratified more than 20 contracts with union groups last year. An important component in several of the agreements was language that makes it possible for our colleagues to work at different Essentia facilities when unique circumstances arise, such as unexpected illness or an emergency that impacts staffing demands.

Cross-facility floating is a practice that allows for more flexible scheduling to ensure we are meeting the needs of our patients. For example, if the patient census at one of our hospitals is unusually high, we may ask some team members at other facilities if they are interested in working a shift, or shifts, at the hospital. Cross-facility floating is an important tool we can use to maintain care with highly skilled and well-trained team members.

Essentia is currently negotiating with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Deer River and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA). MNA leadership is characterizing cross-facility floating as giving Essentia the right to “float nurses to any facility, any time,” which is simply not true. In reality, the practice benefits our staff, patients and communities. It’s used only when necessary to avoid a disruption to patient care. In the eight contracts we were able to reach agreement on language allowing for this flexibility in 2024, including an agreement with the MNA, this staffing practice is entirely voluntary.

Cross-facility floating helps our colleagues and communities — if the census at their facility is low, they would have the opportunity to work at another facility while assisting their coworkers and meeting patient needs elsewhere. It’s important to note that staff members would only be asked to work at another facility for a position in which they are qualified.

For these reasons, we have appreciated other union groups agreeing to it in their contracts. And we look forward to finding common ground with the SEIU and MNA on this scheduling flexibility that will protect access to the health care our patients rely on.