Sue Wilson, a representative for the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, said the letters arrived just as the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health demanded that the Department of Mental Health increase staffing levels at Patton and Atascadero state hospitals to reduce the number of attacks on workers.
“It’s a shock,” Wilson said of the layoff notices. “It doesn’t make any sense to send people away.”
Dr. Richard Frishman, a psychiatrist at Napa State Hospital, said the layoffs will make the hospital less safe.
“This is totally going the wrong way. We’re already short-staffed,” Frishman said. “Someone needs to smarten up.”
Read full story at Napa Valley Register
Read the Safety Now Press Release