On Wednesday, a group of more than 600 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners held a one-day strike against their employer, Minneapolis-based Allina Health. The primary and urgent care providers work at over 60 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and are organized with Doctors Council SEIU Local 10MD.

The Doctors Council said this event is the largest private-sector strike among healthcare providers in United States history, as well as the first ever in Minnesota. Matt Hoffman, family medicine physician at Allina, explained: “After 20 months of bargaining, we are striking for a primary care system where doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have the time and resources to give our patients the best possible care.”

Allina Health has divested from its primary care network in recent years. In September of 2024 the nonprofit health conglomerate sold its outpatient laboratories to Quest Diagnostics, a for-profit company, for $230 million. On November 1, Allina closed four locations in Maplewood, Oakdale, Inver Grove Heights and downtown Minneapolis, with another location in Chaska set to close on February 1 of next year. These decisions have reduced access to care and slowed down test results.

Meanwhile, according to Dr. Hoffman, “Allina has not addressed burnout or inadequate staffing levels, and is trying to cut pay for our providers” at the bargaining table. Despite the company’s public projections of financial hardship, public tax records indicate that Allina Health CEO Lisa Shannon made over $3 million in 2023.

Allina’s behavior is part of a larger nationwide trend in healthcare, with increasing consolidation, cost cutting, and corporate influence making it harder for providers and other healthcare employees to serve patients well. These Doctors Council members are charting a new path and showing healthcare providers everywhere how to fight back against this dynamic. “We are trying to create a system where healthcare providers can focus on taking care of patients, and will not stop fighting as long as our patients are suffering,” Dr. Hoffman said.

The providers will be back in negotiations with Allina early next month.

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