Unions leaders react to Independence joining West Virginia University Health System
Questions about staffing levels, workplace conditions and the impact on patient care were on the minds of local union leaders after receiving word on Wednesday, Nov. 19 that Independence Health System would be joining the West Virginia University Health System by fall 2026.
Part of the deal that includes $800 million in investments by WVU Health System to strengthen services and modernize facilities over five years. The agreement, which is subject to state and federal regulatory reviews, includes Independence operating under the WVU Medicine brand.
Tammy May, president of Pennsylvania Independent Nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital, said she hopes the nine-figure investment will better serve the 500 nurses she represents.
“I would hope that they would put that investment in retention of good, experienced staff,” she said. “Fortunately, Butler hasn’t had to deal with the instability of travelers and everything, but you have to keep investing in your staff to do that.”
May pointed to multiple staffing issues after the merger between Independence Health System and Excela Health was finalized in 2023.
“We need to retain great employees, so we can continue to give great community health care,” said May, an intensive care nurse. “If collaborating with WVU is the way to do that, then what’s most important is for us to do what is best for our community because we need our community hospital, and we need great workers and retention of those great workers to be able to do that.”
While May said she wasn’t privy to any deal prior to Wednesday, she noted that the rumor mill had been swirling in recent weeks.
“A lot of management is never truthful to the employees about these type of things until there’s a done deal,” she said. “We’re always cycling through rumors and trying to figure out if there’s any merit to any of them.”
The five hospitals in the Independence Health System — Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland — “will benefit from the scale, expertise and infrastructure of a leading regional academic health system while maintaining its strong community focus,” according to a Wednesday news release from the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.
In May, 235 Butler Memorial Hospital technical professionals voted to unionize with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. The group represents 750 nurses and technicians at Butler Memorial Hospital and more than 11,000 nurses and allied health professionals across the state.
The association called for “full transparency, improved staffing, and meaningful investments in bedside care.”
“With the news of this latest merger, PASNAP nurses and allied professionals at Butler Memorial are optimistic that the leadership at WVU Medicine will demonstrate a renewed commitment to the patients and community we serve,” the association said.
Union officials suggested specific steps that should be taken to make the merger a success. Those include retaining current staff, investing in patient care and collaborating with front line caregivers.
