In a historic move for the healthcare and technology sectors, physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners at Bicycle Health have filed with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD).
“In the wake of the devastating toll of opioid-related overdoses and deaths, many of us joined Bicycle Health in order to help fulfill its mission to increase access to high quality, affordable opioid use disorder treatment for all,” the providers stated in a joint statement. “But over the years, there has been a shift in company culture where we as providers feel increasingly overworked, undervalued, and our feedback is regularly ignored. In order to continue providing the best care for our patients struggling with opioid addiction, we knew we needed to come together.”
This action comes after growing concerns from staff related to leadership decisions and the impact on patient care.
“Having a collective voice as a union will allow us to better advocate for ourselves, our patients, and their families and communities that carry the weight of all the lives lost from lack of access to treatment,” the providers further explained.
“With the rise of telehealth in 2020, we anticipated it was only a matter of time before the providers would start to unionize. The tech industry prides itself on being innovative and disruptive, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of providers and their ability to provide quality patient care. Telehealth providers deserve the same protections and rights as on-site providers,” said Stuart Bussey, M.D., J.D., UAPD president.