National Nurses United identifies Glendale Memorial, USC Verdugo Hills as at risk of service cuts, closure due to federal cuts

Januay 24 free clinic, community event kicks off national ‘RED ALERT’ tour to advance nurses’ vision for a healthy society

The nation’s largest union of registered nurses, National Nurses United, is bringing a ‘RED ALERT’ warning to hundreds of communities nationwide that face a drastic reduction in quantity and quality of health care services as a result of H.R. 1, the Republican budget bill passed last year. Nurses’ first stop on the ‘RED ALERT’ tour will be in Glendale, California on Saturday, January 24.

NNU researchers have identified, using five years of hospital financial data available through Medicare, that Glendale Memorial Hospital and nearby USC Verdugo Hills Hospital — among more than 400 nonprofit and community hospitals — are at risk of service cuts and, eventually, potential closure if swift action isn’t taken to restore funding.

At the inaugural ‘RED ALERT’ tour stop in Glendale, nurses will offer a free clinic with basic wellness checks to all who need it. A program featuring speeches from local registered nurses, elected officials, and community activists will provide a path forward for the community, outlining the policy and political changes required to keep hospitals open and allow all working people to thrive. Community members can also enjoy free tacos from Mariscos Arenita and live entertainment, including a Drag Story Hour featuring Lil Miss Hot Mess reading Medi Bear Saves the Hospital and other illustrated books and a musical performance by Los Jornaleros del Norte.

What: Nurses ‘RED ALERT’ inaugural stop in Glendale, California
When: Saturday, January 24. Free Wellness Clinic from 11am-4pm; Taco Truck opens at 11am; Program, including speakers and musical performances, from 11:30am-1:15pm and Drag Story Hour from 1:15-2pm.
Where: 1420 S. Central Ave, Glendale, California
Speakers and guests include: NNU President Mary Turner, RN; CNA President Sandy Reding, RN; NNU Executive Director Puneet Maharaj; CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma; CA Asm. Nick Schultz; Burbank City Councilmember Konstantine Anthony; and representatives from Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE); California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC); the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); and Feel The Bern San Fernando Valley.

“Every day, I care for patients experiencing life-or-death emergencies, and it’s horrifying to think their care might be compromised by Medicaid cuts,” said Noelle Meridith Dutton, RN at USC Verdugo Hills. “Should our hospital close, patients suffering from heart attacks, strokes, and other dangerous situations could have to travel up to a half an hour to get lifesaving treatment at the nearest hospital. Each minute that passes, a life hangs in the balance and the chances for a good outcome diminish.”

The escalating violence from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, including the January 7 murder of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer, puts into focus the tragic consequences of H.R. 1.

“Nurses are enraged every time we see a new incident of ICE intimidating, injuring, and killing our patients and community members,” said Ron Weiss, RN at Glendale Memorial Hospital, which has experienced credible reports of ICE interfering in patient care. “These are armed federal agents on our streets intimidating people from taking their kids to school, going to work, or seeking care at our hospitals. That their actions are also funded by Medicaid cuts that will close vital hospitals and services is so immoral and antithetical to nurse values of compassion and care.”

Glendale Memorial Hospital receives 50 percent of its funding from Medicaid, making it even more vulnerable to the cuts that will go into effect immediately after the 2026 midterms.

More information on the financial vulnerability of Glendale Memorial and USC Verdugo Hills hospitals in Glendale and potential impacts to patient care are available here.

H.R. 1, which Republicans and President Trump pushed, cut more than $1 trillion in federal funding to health care to give billionaires tax breaks and militarize immigration enforcement. In response to this unprecedented attack on public health, registered nurses will be taking their alternative vision for a healthy society directly to the patients and working-class communities they serve.

“The billionaire class and their Republican puppets are gutting public health protections to make themselves richer and militarize our neighborhoods, with zero regard for working people and families struggling to survive,” said NNU President Mary Turner, RN. “Nurses refuse their deadly agenda. We’re taking the wheel and bringing our vision for a healthy society directly to patients and communities who will bear the brunt of Republican policies. We invite everyone who has felt abandoned by the political system to join us and build real working-class solidarity.”

The ‘RED ALERT’ tour aims to build the power and community support needed to save more than 400 vulnerable nonprofit hospitals from slashed services or closure. Not just Medicaid patients will suffer; without community hospitals, all patients have no way to heal from the illnesses and injuries they experience due to the conditions of their everyday lives.

Cuts to services and staffing are also detrimental. Patients experience longer ER wait times, increased travel time for care, worse health outcomes (including death), and a loss of jobs at the hospital, which is often the biggest community employer.

According to NNU’s calculations taken from Medicare cost reports, it would take $8 billion in tax revenue to keep all 401 hospitals vulnerable to closure open for another year. To put this into perspective, Kaiser Permanente made $12 billion last year, according to the hospital chain’s audited financial reports. Senator Bernie Sanders has released comprehensive tax proposals to change the U.S. tax system and raise trillions in revenue, which NNU strongly endorses to keep hospitals and health services accessible, eventually guarantee health care for all through Medicare for All, and build the pillars for a society that takes care of everyone’s needs.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.