At PASNAP, we believe that healthcare is a human right—not a business model.
Yet, too often, corporate hospital chains and health systems make decisions that prioritize financial gain over patient well-being. The result? Chronic understaffing, delayed care, unsafe conditions, and entire communities left without access to the healthcare they need.
Our members see it every day. A patient left waiting for hours in the ER because there aren’t enough nurses on shift. A rural hospital shutting down labor and delivery services because the profit margins aren’t high enough. Patients discharged too soon, or denied necessary treatments, because the cost is deemed “too high.” These decisions are driven by spreadsheets, not by what’s best for the patient.
That is unacceptable.
CORPORATE HOSPITAL POLICIES ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM
Pennsylvania's hospital systems often operate like big businesses, not public health institutions. Facilities close profitable units in one community to expand more lucrative services in another. Administrators cut staff and resources to boost executive pay and investor returns. All the while, patients—especially the poor, uninsured, and those in rural areas—bear the brunt.
Hospitals in PA have cut essential services like mental health, maternity care, and community clinics.
Staffing ratios remain dangerously high, increasing the risk of medical errors and patient harm.
In many facilities, frontline caregivers have little to no voice in decisions that directly affect patient care.
“I became a nurse to care for people. But when profits come first, patients pay the price.”
WHAT PENNSYLVANIA NURSES SAY
PASNAP's 2024 statewide survey found:
78% of nurses said they've been assigned more patients than they can safely care for.
64% said financial pressures—not patient needs—drive most hospital policy decisions.
69% said their hospital has cut services in the last three years, often in underserved communities.
We know the stakes: when profit comes before patients, health outcomes decline, families suffer, and trust in our healthcare system erodes.
HOW PASNAP USES OUR POWER
PASNAP uses the collective strength of more than 11,000 nurses and healthcare professionals to demand policies and laws that put patients first:
Safe Staffing: Fighting for enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios so every patient gets the care they deserve.
Universal Access to Care: Supporting legislation to expand healthcare access in every community.
Workplace Safety: Preventing harassment and violence against healthcare workers so they can focus on patient care.
Hospital Accountability: Demanding transparency in hospital finances and decision-making.
Our advocacy was instrumental in passing Act 102, Pennsylvania's ban on mandatory overtime for healthcare workers, and in advancing HB 926, the Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Act. These victories prove that when nurses unite, we can win real protections for both patients and caregivers.
CURRENT FIGHT
Right now, we are pushing for legislation to guarantee safe staffing levels, protect essential hospital services from closure, and make sure every healthcare decision is based on what's best for the patient—not the bottom line. We've won before. We'll win again. Because our commitment is, and always will be, patients over profits.
We use our collective strength to advocate for things like safe staffing, universal access to healthcare, and prevention of harassment and violence against healthcare workers. Our advocacy was instrumental in passing Act 102, Pennsylvania's ban on mandatory overtime for healthcare workers.
Flexible Box
Flexible content lorem ipsum dolor sit amet orci eiusmod imperdiet quam curabitur vel lobortis ornare.
By providing your cell phone number you consent to receive recurring updates from PASNAP by automated text message. Msg & Data rates may apply. Text HELP for help, STOP to end. Privacy Policy
