Registered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital, in Watsonville, Calif. will hold a press conference ahead of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District special board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14 to highlight their patient safety concerns, including the proposed closure of the intensive care unit (ICU), announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).

The hospital serves as a critical safety net for vulnerable populations in our region, and the loss of ICU services would significantly harm access to emergency care and community health. The ICU closure would force critically ill patients to be transferred to distant hospitals, often amid already long ambulance wait times, putting lives at high risk. The ICU supports all departments throughout the hospital in stabilizing critically ill patients, from laboring mothers to patients who walk through the emergency department doors.

County leaders warn that an ICU closure undermines the intent of voters who approved Measure N, which was intended to support and strengthen Watsonville Community Hospital, with the expectation that patient care, transparency, and collaboration with frontline staff would be prioritized. 

“ICU closure isn’t just an inconvenience, it creates a high risk of loss of life,” said Roseann Farris, an ICU registered nurse at Watsonville. “Every department depends on the ICU to stabilize critically ill patients. We are talking about people’s lives and the safe health care of our community.”

Who: Nurses from Watsonville Community Hospital
What: Press conference against the closure of the ICU unit and to protect our community
Where: Sidewalk in front of Watsonville Community Hospital, 75 Nielson Street, Watsonville, CA
When: Wednesday, Jan. 14 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., ahead of the special board meeting

CNA represents nearly/more than 260 registered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital.

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.