Letter to the Legacy Health Board of Directors

Date: September 28, 2024

Re:  OHSU-Legacy Health Combination: Letter to the Board of Directors

Dear Legacy Health Board Members,

We are writing to express our concern about the decision of the Board of Directors to continue to move forward with OHSU as our future strategic partner. As independent management, the role of each director is to solely represent the interest of Legacy’s people and patients, and as our mission states: above all, we will do the right thing. We take this responsibility to heart.

By negotiating with Labor Partners prior to engaging Legacy, and further finalizing an agreement as part of the HCMO application, OHSU has violated what was outlined in the definitive agreement and breached trust of the workforce they seek to acquire. Providing significantly greater benefits to a select few creates disparity and undermines our organizational values of equity and pay parity. OHSU’s aspiration to “build a workforce for today and tomorrow, and advance racial justice and culturally competent care” is in direct contradiction to this action.

OHSU needs the Legacy team to fulfill the vision of the combined organization and keep our promises to the communities we collectively serve. Simply becoming a larger organization will not reduce healthcare costs or improve quality outcomes, access to care, and health equity. These goals can only be achieved through collaborative engagement and respect for all people. It is clear from OHSU’s actions that they do not recognize or value this truth.

We write to you as leaders, physicians, and staff members who care deeply about good health for our people, our patients, our communities, and our world. Our position is that OHSU has and will continue to intentionally exclude Legacy during the most important life event of our history as an organization. We ask each of you to independently evaluate whether OHSU is the right partner to represent Legacy’s values, culture, and the interests of our people and communities.

Since this was announced, we have received many questions from our teams. Here are a few:

  • Why didn’t the Board negotiate pay parity for Legacy employees?

  • With this new development, is each Board member still in support of this combination?

  • Is the Board unanimously in support or are voices being silenced?  

In the coming weeks, we plan to share this letter publicly and will continue to send you additional questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Sincerely,

The Unrepresented Employees

30+ Legacy Health leaders and physicians who wish to remain anonymous as a group at this time for fear of retaliation by OHSU leaders