Contra Costa Health nurses demand Board of Supervisors stop drastic budget and service cuts

Nurses to speak out at board meeting about cuts to vital services for vulnerable patients and retention of essential nurses

Registered nurses with the California Nurses Association (CNA) will speak out at the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 14, to demand that the board stop drastic budget cuts to save the Contra Costa Health system, maintain services, and retain nurses in the wake of the significant projected financial losses created by H.R. 1., the federal reconciliation law. Nurses are calling on the Board of Supervisors to address the looming shortfall and nurse retention.

"Contra Costa Health is the safety-net system for health care in our county. If the federal administration says they won't cover care for our community, the county has an obligation to do so," said Danielle Lopez, RN in the medical-surgical unit at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, chief nurse representative and negotiating team member. "Cutting public health services means that our patients will not get care when they need it and will end up in the ER in crisis. This is a betrayal of our mission: 'to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County with special attention to those who are most vulnerable.'"

Who: RNs in the Contra Costa Health system
What: Speak out for nurse retention and financial support at the Board of Supervisors meeting
When: Tuesday, April. 14, 9-11:30 a.m.
Where: Board of Supervisors, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, Calif.

In December, Contra Costa Health reported to the Board of Supervisors a projected $307 million deficit due to H.R. 1. Since that announcement, Contra Costa Health has eliminated 46 nurse positions and cut an estimated 3,650 patients from care programs without studying the impact this will have on the patients seeking care at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and its emergency department.

"To save money in the short term, the county administration is laying off nurses, threatening our health care benefits, and cutting programs for our patients," said Vicky Davidson, a public health nurse for Contra Costa Health Plan. "The county must do everything possible to keep our experienced nurses. It is critical to retain nurses who have decades of experience and know how to care for a wide range of patients."

Nurses have been bargaining for a new contract since July 2025 to improve patient care, patient safety, and infection control, and provide job security that would keep nurses with the county.

CNA represents more than 1,300 registered nurses in the Contra Costa Health system, which includes RNs working at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, outpatient clinics, behavioral health, public health, and detention facilities.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.