Dignity Health: "Our values define how we carry out the mission."

Help me understand how Dignity Health can advertise "humankindness" and the "Beyond Health" fundraising campaign, then quietly begin laying off employees fundamental to quality patient care.

System leaders said Dignity's merger with Catholic Health Initiatives would be a positive move and not to worry. Now, due to that "realignment," not only are some staff being laid off, local positions are being eliminated altogether.

Help me to understand how patient safety and quality of care won't be affected as staff (who contribute to patient care) are laid off. What is the benefit to patients as top executives (who have made the decision to pursue this merger) continue receiving their exorbitant, multi-million dollar salaries with six- and seven-figure bonuses even as patient care is compromised by their greed.

The employees in the trenches (the remaining dedicated, hardworking clinical and ancillary staff) are now expected to pick up the additional workload of their laid-off peers and embrace the extra work that expansion, more patient beds, and new service lines bring. Where is the ethics in that?

"Humankindness?" Call it what it is. A sham.

Sally Twiford

Atascadero