Salinas, CA – Nov. 7, 2024 – More than 700 patients at the Alisal Health Center have lost access to essential healthcare services after the Monterey County Health Department illegally terminated Dr. Cris Carrillo in retaliation for his patient care advocacy. The clinics operated by the health department have provided life-saving care to the most vulnerable residents of Monterey County for decades. The doctors employed at the clinics unanimously authorized a strike on Nov. 1, 2024.
“I began my residency at Natividad in 2018 where the excellent training I received gave me a strong foundation to advocate for patient care. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to providing high quality care in the community of Salinas,” Dr. Carrillo said. “At the Alisal Health Center, my colleagues and I fought for over seven months to ensure our patients received sustainable, high-quality care. Our concerns were repeatedly downplayed, and we were labeled as ‘toxic’ by upper management.”
Dr. Carrillo stated his recent termination is an attempt by the County’s clinic services leadership to silence him, slow down patient advocacy efforts, and be a warning to his colleagues: fall in line or else.
A half-day strike is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in front of the Monterey County Health Department located at 1270 Natividad Rd, Salinas, CA 93906. At 10 a.m., doctors and patients will then attend the Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting at 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas, CA 93901 to address the impact of Dr. Carrillo’s termination on patient outcomes.
“His patients are facing significant disruptions to their care. After arriving for appointments, they’re informed that Dr. Carrillo is gone and referred to other clinics, requiring multiple bus trips which can take hours, to receive care,” a physician at the Alisal Health Center explained. “This is detrimental to patients who are elderly or disabled who are at high fall risk and require additional assistance. It’s also challenging for the patients who cannot afford to take extra time off.”
The doctors at Monterey County Health Department clinics and hospitals, represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), are calling on the county to address the following:
- Reinstatement of Dr. Cris Carrillo: The physicians demand the immediate reinstatement of Dr. Cris Carrillo, a primary care physician who previously served as Chief Resident at Natividad Medical Center during the height of the COVID pandemic and has tirelessly served the community and stood up for patients.
- Provider Voice in Patient Care: The workers are calling for the county to include care providers in decisions affecting patient care and staff well-being, rather than focusing only on administrative efficiency. The clinics need sufficient staffing and resources to provide sustainable quality care to all patients.
- Investigation of Health Department Leadership: The physicians are demanding the county investigate the retaliatory and continuing intimidating practices of the leadership, which have negatively impacted staff’s ability to care for patients and to recruit or retain staff members.
- Removal of At-Will Status: The physicians currently employed do not have job security because they are the only “at-will” employees of the County, which allows the employer to terminate an employee for no reason. The workers are calling for a removal of this status to provide job security.
“Dr. Carrillo was one of the most vocal physicians at the clinic raising concerns about patient care. His firing highlights a systemic issue that needs to be addressed,” Dr. Stuart Bussey, UAPD President, said. “As doctors, we need to protect our right to speak out and advocate for our patients, even if it means challenging leadership, without the fear of being fired. Patients deserve better and we will not stand idly by as their health and well-being are jeopardized.”
For more information, contact: Vivi Le, vivi.le@uapd.com
About the Union of American Physicians & Dentists
Established in 1972, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) is the largest union for licensed doctors and advanced practice clinicians in the nation—representing more than 7,000 private and public-sector healthcare practitioners. Affiliated with AFSCME and the AFL-CIO, UAPD brings the strength of the labor movement to the aid of providers in the interest of better medicine for all. Learn more at www.uapd.com.