Nurses at three KPC Healthcare hospitals in Orange County—Anaheim Global Medical Center, South Coast Global Medical Center and Chapman Global Medical Center—voted overwhelmingly to approve a new three-year contract, California Nurses Association (CNA) announced today.

“KPC nurses know that ensuring a safe working environment for nurses is key for providing safe patient care,” said Karen Rodriguez, RN. “That’s why we are thrilled to have fought for and won a new agreement that includes such important protections for RNs and patients—from safe staffing and workplace violence protections, to economic gains that help us recruit and retain the most experienced nurses for Orange County.”

KPC Health, which owns and operates four hospitals in Orange County, was formerly known as Integrated Healthcare Holdings Inc., based in Tustin. CNA represents around 450 nurses at the three KPC hospitals that ratified their contract this week.

Contract highlights include:
 

• Safe staffing at all times, including during meal and rest periods.
• A staffing plan that factors in meal and rest periods, patients’ level of illness/injury and safe lifting practices.
• Economic gains—with an average increase of 13 percent—that will help to address RN recruitment and retention.
• A commitment to protect RNs and patients from workplace violence by providing necessary training and preparation.
• A safe “floating structure” that provides the patient with the most qualified nurse for their individual care and does not thrust an RN into unfamiliar units with little or no training, thereby jeopardizing both patient care and RN licensure.

“As nurses, we will always advocate for our patients, and we are so happy that this agreement upholds our ability to provide top quality care,” said Mara Flicker, RN. “KPC RNs can be very proud of this contract which, for years to come, will benefit patients in Orange County.”

The KPC Healthcare hosptials’ contract ratification comes on the heels of a multi-hospital contract ratification this month of four CNA-represented Providence St. Joseph Health hospitals in California. CNA represents nearly 100,000 RNs statewide.